


Something Better Than This

by Balletismyobsession



Category: Glee
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - The Little Mermaid Fusion, Angst, M/M, The little mermaid - Freeform, kingdom - Freeform, mermaid, sea captain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 05:11:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 30
Words: 81,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6410176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Balletismyobsession/pseuds/Balletismyobsession
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt wants more from this life he knows under the sea as the first heir and prince to a kingdom he doesn't want. When a ship arrives, carrying a man Kurt has never seen before, he realizes he'd do anything to be part of his world, no matter the cost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Kurt opened his eyes and closed them again immediately. It was way too early to be up. Why was he up again? Oh, yeah. He remembered, and groaned just thinking about it. Taking a cleansing breath, he threw off the blanket his stepmother had woven for him out of the long strands of seaweed and ran his hands through his light brown hair. Slipping out of bed, Kurt flicked his turquoise blue tail and drifted over to the full-length mirror, deciding that he looked pretty good today. He smiled and began his daily breathing exercises, starting to warm up his voice.

Kurt took great pride in his voice. It was no secret that he had one of the most beautiful of all singing voices in the Kingdom of Tras. Although being the only true son of King Burt was also something to be proud of. Around a decade ago, Burt had remarried to Carole, a commoner among the merpeople. This was unheard of. There were plenty of other Kingdoms in the sea, specifically the Pacific Ocean, and everyone had expected Burt to marry another royal, joining their Kingdoms together. But he'd shocked everyone by declaring his love for the mermaid and marrying her in a gorgeous ceremony that he entire Kingdom had attended. Completing their new family was a teenage merman named Finn. It had taken a bit for the boys to warm up to each other, but now, it was as if they had been brothers all along. Finn had married the mermaid Rachel a few years ago and at twenty-five, everyone had expected Kurt to take a husband. There just weren't any gay mermen that were attractive to Kurt. Sure, he'd had plenty of suitors, men and women alike, but Kurt suspected that they only wanted to marry him because of the wealth that came with the combining of families and the power that was going to be entrusted upon Kurt one day, as he was next in line for the throne.

For Kurt, love had never even been a thought. He never thought that he would ever love, as no merman, or mermaid for that matter, was even remotely interesting to him in a romantic light. But Kurt knew that he would never marry if he wasn't in love and if that meant he had to rule alone, then so be it.

"Kurt, stop flaunting your tail in the mirror. We have to go!" Finn yelled from outside Kurt's door. Kurt rolled his eyes. He did not want to go to the opening of the new children's choir building, but as his father had paid for most of it, the royal family was expected to attend. Pushing aside his curtains that blocked his door from the hallways of the palace, he darted out and tried to lose Finn, who stayed annoyingly close.

"You think the kids are going to sing for us?"

"I don't know, Finn." He sighed. "Aren't you supposed to be with Rachel?"

"She's getting her hair masked. Some sea cucumber thing, I think. Supposed to make it shiny?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Well, your hair's always shiny, so I thought…"

"Finn, I've known you for twelve years now. When have you ever seen me muck up my hair with sea cucumber slime?"

"Someone's tense today."

Kurt groaned. "I really don't want to go to this thing."

"It's not required, you know."

"Do you really think dad will let me skip it because I 'have a tummy ache'? I'm not a teenager anymore. It's royal protocol. I have to go or it'll look bad."

Finn raised his eyebrows and stopped, his pale green tail swishing underneath him. "You do know what today is, right?"

Kurt tried his hardest not to groan. "Of course I do, Finn."

"I don't understand how you can even look at them, but I know how much you like to watch the ships come into harbor. You won't get this chance again until the land people need to stock up again. Which is… what? Six months from now?"

This just wasn't fair. Finn knew that the prospect of being able to watch the ships come in was just too much of a temptation for Kurt. Sometimes Kurt wondered if it was the only thing that made him truly excited. He looked forward to this every six months, as much as he used to get excited about his birthday every year. Now, he enjoyed this more. And he knew just as much as the next merperson what the humans did to their kind, but Kurt couldn't help his curiosity.

"I do, Finn." Kurt said, while munching on coral sticks and red algae berries he snagged from the waiting bowl on the table. "But I can't."

"You never do anything fun. You sing and shine your tail and that's it. Seriously, when was the last time you did anything adventurous?"

Kurt paused and thought for a moment. "Rachel Berry kelp party."

"That was in high school! And you didn't even drink."

"Neither did you." Kurt countered. "But I had to watch Rachel make a fool out of herself and that was more than enough to turn me off of plankton-fermented alcohol for life."

"You know, the humans bring in barrels of that stuff. Maybe that's why they hunt us."

"How do you know that?"

Finn raised his eyebrows, popping an algae berry in his mouth as they made their way down to the main hall. "I've seen the barrels they line up after they take them off the ship. And why else would they hunt merpeople? Maybe the stuff clouds their judgment, like the plankton alcohol does. I don't see why it would be any different."

"You've watched them too?"

"Only once. I don't know why you do it. It's really boring."

Kurt was taken aback. "Boring? Are you claming with me? It's amazing. All the stuff they have-"

"You don't even know what half of their human stuff does. And how can you even touch that stuff, knowing that they-"

"But I can imagine. And they have legs, Finn. Can you just see it? Not having a tail? Being able to… what is it they do?" Kurt furrowed his eyebrows, trying to remember what he'd learned in school. "Walk? That's it right? Humans walk?"

"I'm just fine with my tail, thank you." Finn gave him a dark look.

"But don't you want-" Kurt stopped as he realized that the hall around them was empty. "Finn? I thought you said we were late."

His brother grinned, putting the earlier conversation out of mind. "I wasn't sure how long it would take to get you out of your room. We're early actually. But not by much. Dad should be here soon."

Rachel appeared from a hallway opposite the one they had just vacated before Kurt could get angry that he could have been sleeping longer. Her hair spread out behind her, mimicking the waves themselves. She twirled around when she came close enough, her lavender tail curling up and then relaxing as she stopped spinning. "What do you think?" She grinned at both of them.

"It looks great, Rachel."

"You look beautiful," Finn assured her and gave a small flick of his tail to propel himself forward the small distance between them and gave her a quick kiss.

"Isn't he just the best ever?" Rachel crooned and smiled again at Kurt.

"Yes, who doesn't love the merman that apparently doesn't value sleep?"

Rachel laughed and put a hand on her hip. "Someone's cranky this morning."

"The sun isn't even up yet."

"But we get to watch it rise at the opening today. Isn't it exciting?" she gushed and turned to talk to Finn. Kurt happily tuned them out. He supposed he was being a bit rude this morning, but in his defense, he had a right to be. He was put out by the fact that of all the days for the merchildren's choir room to have the grand opening, it just had to be today.

The sea around them was still dark and murky. Come the sunrise, everything would change, but for now, it just reminded Kurt that he could still be sleeping. Suppressing a groan, he thought of all he would be missing today. The thirty ships that Kurt had memorized would be docking to unload their cargo. He knew exactly what ships carried what, from spices to cloth to shampoo to shoes, whatever those were. He'd mainly seen barrels of the stuff being rolled off or crates being hoisted by three men down the ramps leading from the ships. He'd had the chance to examine one of the barrels once. The men were shouting at each other and pushing each other around, and someone knocked into the barrel as it sat waiting to be taken to the land palace and had gone tumbling into the sea. Kurt had had to wait a while, after the human who seemed to be in charge got done yelling at them and sent them on their way. The barrel had been made of something hard the shade of dying seaweed and was marked with letters spelling out LEMONS. They were the weirdest things Kurt had ever tasted. He'd figured that if the humans ate them, they shouldn't be harmful. And Kurt had pried open the lid and grasped one of the yellow balls in his hand, turning it over and over in his palm. The outside was mostly smooth, slightly bumpy, and it smelled really good. But when he lifted the food to his lips and took a bite through the exterior, he discovered that just because something smelled good, did not mean that it tasted the same. He'd spat out the bitter skin and the sour pulp that felt like it was burning his throat. From then on, if he found something in the ocean that didn't belong, he'd brought it back to his collection room. He'd built up quite a lot of stuff over the years and as Finn pointed out, he didn't know what half of it was supposed to do or be used for, but it was fun to just look or run his hands over the prized possessions. He didn't care what the objects did. They were made by humans and used by them somehow and that was all that mattered.

Ever since Kurt had first set eyes on the ships on the horizon, he'd developed a sort of fascination for the human species, even after learning in school what the humans did. He'd learned long ago to fear the ones with two legs. Kurt just couldn't understand why. And when he first set eyes on a human, he was even more confused. They didn't look like they were vicious merpeople hunters. They looked as capable of killing a mermaid as he did to kill one of them. It just didn't seem right. Then again, Kurt had never seen a human on the hunt before. But that was a long time ago. That was before they'd killed his mother.

He'd lost his mother when he was eight and the Kingdom lost their queen. Kurt did hate the humans for a very long time. But after the pain started to fade, he'd found himself even more infatuated with the ones called humans. Sometimes he didn't understand why. He knew that he should hate them with every fiber in his body, but it just didn't seem right to straight out never even talk about an entire species that was so real above them. They lived on land, but Kurt couldn't really see the difference between a human and himself. Other than the obvious difference of course. But in the way they acted and spoke, it was very similar. Sometimes he wondered if he was supposed to have been born a human, instead of a merman.

Kurt was musing over this train of thought when his father entered, Carole by his side and a flank of guards behind him.

"And how is my fine family this morning?" He grinned at them, his crown perched and glistening on his bald head.

"Peachy." Kurt said and tried his best to look interested in what they were going to be doing that day. There had to be something better than this, better than this life that he knew.

"Don't look so put out, Kurt." King Burt scolded him. "This is going to do wonders for the youth. Just imagine what you could have done with a choir room when you were a child."

Kurt knew that this was a good thing. The choir room was literally going to save lives. The voice of a mermaid or merman was a very powerful thing, and the humans on land had grown accustomed to the sound that came from the sea. The choir room meant that merchildren could practice and learn how to control how far their voices carried because that could mean the difference between life and death. When the humans came with their nets and spears and guns, it was almost suicide, especially because with their telescopes and magnifying devices, they could spot a mermaid and take her down before the poor thing even knew what was happening. The humans valued the tails of the merpeople, but that wasn't the worst part.

When he'd gotten older, Kurt had learned that sometimes, the humans were so captivated by a merperson's voice that they didn't kill them and instead, kept them as pets to sing for them. Merchildren were taught never to sing outside of the walls of the palace, for fear that a human would hear. On land or on a ship, the humans could do a devastating amount of damage and you never knew what voice would appeal to a human. If you were caught, it was better to be dead. Far better to be dead than kept as a pretty thing that could be displayed and made to sing for the enjoyment of the land people.

Kurt jerked back into the conversation as his father was telling them what they needed to do today. And he almost tuned right back out because it was the same thing he'd done a hundred times before. As the only living blood relative and next in line for the throne, Kurt was to stand beside Carole, who was beside Burt, with Finn beside Kurt and Rachel beside Finn. Then Burt would give some kind of speech, the building would be blessed in song, with only the trained merpeople allowing their controlled voices to be heard, and then the children would be let into the choir room, probably with a Master Singer to give their very first lesson. Kurt could sing the blessing song in his sleep. But it wasn't just about blessing. It was about protection. Protection from the humans.

"The sun will be rising in twenty minutes, King Burt." One of the guards reminded him.

"Yes, yes. We must be off. Let's go, gang."

They trooped along behind him, Kurt sulking in the back. In twenty minutes, the first of the ships would be arriving and Kurt would be stuck singing as the Kingdom spoke of Burt's generosity and the care he exuded towards his people. Kurt loved his father, he did, and he loved how much his father truly did care for his subjects but sometimes it seemed like he overlooked his own son's wishes. He'd asked if he could skip these kinds of things before, but to no avail. "What would it look like if the successor to the throne was absent?" Kurt mocked his father's voice in his head. He knew he was being immature and downright childish, but Kurt was stubborn and he really wanted to see the ships today. He just couldn't stand one more moment of this boring life he knew. He seriously thought he might just go crazy.

Finn looked back at him as he dragged along, his tail moving only minimally in an effort to just 'accidently get lost' on his way to the choir room. He said something to Rachel, then hung back with Kurt.

"You look miserable."

"Really, Finn? I thought the point of this was to make me miserable."

He gave his brother a sympathetic look. "Just go."

"What?" Kurt's head shot up.

"Go," Finn whispered. "Dad can't be mad forever and knowing you, you'd rather have him be upset with you than to miss this. He's not even going to notice until we get there and by then it'll be too late to do anything about it. I'll try to hold him off as long as I can."

Kurt glanced ahead, where his father was hand-in-hand with Carole, his orange tail shimmering as it swished out behind him in powerful strokes. Finn gave him a tiny shove. With a last look at his brother that he hoped said more than words could, Kurt carefully backed away and then turned, using all the power in his tail to push him forward, away from his family and the expectations he faced.

A smile brightened his face and instantly he knew the day was going to be better. He didn't care of the wrath of Burt Hummel, King of Tras. He was going to see the ships today and he knew that when the sun rose, everything would change.


	2. Chapter 2

Blaine opened his eyes and closed them again immediately. Taking a deep breath and stretching, he swung his legs over the edge of the hammock and jumped down, landing with a thud. He straightened up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. It was going to be a long day; the sun wouldn't be up for a while. But in truth, Blaine was happy to be the one that Lord Hath had trusted to take the cargo of gems and jewels to King Theon, when Lord Hath was called away on duty and unable to do it himself. It was an honor to be in charge of his own ship, his own crew, and the precious cargo that was stowed within the hull. Lord Hath had even told him that if he carried out this delivery well, he might even make him a permanent captain within the rotation of qualified seamen to the royal family. And Blaine was not going to let him down. He'd had to work hard to get where he was. No one thought that a common shopkeeper's assistant with an affinity for sailing would ever go so far. But Blaine had proved them wrong. He'd worked his way up the ranks, starting with the lowest and gradually climbing higher. Now that he was here, he was not about to let this position slip from his grasp. He was so close he could almost taste it.

What Blaine did taste as he exited the Captain's Quarters was the salty air on his tongue and he grinned. If this was what this kind of position tasted like, then he would gladly do everything he could to carry out this mission, even if it meant he died trying. He took a deep breath and looked around him. The breeze was chilly, but that was only because the sun was not yet awake. The darkness around them would mean that everyone should be asleep, but on a ship, sleep was a relative term. You slept when you could and sometimes that meant huddling up in a corner to get a good ten minutes of shut-eye. Then it was back to work. The ship needed its crew to keep it running and a good captain to keep them in line. Today, sleep was the last thing on anyone's mind. Blaine himself was alert and fully awake, taking in the myriad of his men already busy with their tasks.

"Captain Blaine!"

He looked up to spot the dark skin and fluttering white shirt of David as he leaned over, hands cupped around his mouth. Even on the poop deck, sleep was a long-forgotten luxury.

"What is it, David?"

"The sun is starting to rise! I'll keep you informed of our whereabouts, sir!"

"Good. Keep a weather eye on the horizon!"

"Yes, sir!"

Blaine turned his gaze to the bottom deck, and placed his hands on the railing, feeling the smooth wood under his calloused palms. Just because Blaine was a captain for the time being, did not mean that he didn't spend his fair share of time doing hard labor, just as his crew was now. He remembered the burn of the ropes on his palms, the crippling heat in the middle of the day when all he wanted was the sea to toss and spray him with cool water, the pelting rain and winds as he struggled with the rest of the crew to do whatever they had to in order to keep their ship afloat. He knew he could trust his crew to do the same. Not only were these some of the best sailors in all of Hali, but most of them were his friends. He'd grown up with a few of these men, known some for a few years, and just met a couple as they were setting off. But Blaine found immediately that these men were seasoned in their positions and his own friends were possibly working harder in order to impress him. If what Lord Hath said was true and he did indeed become a captain upon his arrival back home, he would be granted his own ship, the authority to hand pick his own crew, and all the money he could ever need to keep himself and his crew happy. He'd be working for the Lord of course, and carrying out whatever his Lord needed in regards to a ship and crew, but for Blaine, it didn't matter how long he was gone or what the mission was. He loved the sea and the feeling he got when he was able to take command of the fleet of people assigned to his will. He never abused that power, though if he ordered one of his men to run head first into a battle unarmed, he had no doubt that the man would do it without questions. The loyalty of sailors really was astounding. Although there were plenty of captains who did take their higher power too seriously and ordered their men with backbreaking work or petty commands until their crew got fed up. He had a feeling that all the mutinies he'd heard about were never the cause of a bad crew who didn't listen, but simply a bad captain. He would never fall under that term. He felt the loyalty of his crew to him and he knew that they all had to trust each other. Which so far, was going pretty well.

"First Mate Wes!" He called out and a dark-haired Asian man sprung up, his black pants rolled up to his calves and tied with a blue sash around his waist. Blaine's oldest friend was beside him in a second, the rag he had been using to wipe the drying salt from the deck still in his hand.

"Yes, sir?"

"How fares the crew today?" It was the first thing he asked every day. The well-being of his crew meant a lot to him, probably because he knew what it was like to be cold in the crew's quarters that leaked and to go hungry because they'd had to ration food and to feel weak and exhausted with no sleep only to be roused at a moment's notice. Blaine tried to keep his crew as well taken care of as he could and for the past month that they'd been sailing, it seemed to have paid off.

"Better than good, captain. They're all looking forward to dock to port and if Second Mate David is correct, we should be arriving on time."

Blaine smiled and clapped a hand on his back. "Excellent. See to it that the cargo is counted and ready to be unloaded."

"Aye aye, sir."

He took a long look at his hard-at-work crewsmen, then passed Navigator Thad at the wheel with a nod.

"Captain, we are currently sailing at a line of southwest and at this current speed, should be docking within the hour."

"Thank you, Thad. Keep her steady."

"As she goes, sir."

Blaine stepped up to the edge of the bow, leaning on the railing and feeling the spray of the sea on his face. The clouds were lightening, turning from navy and black to a shade of purple. A faint hint of the sun's rays were shimmering in the east and Blaine knew it would be light very soon. Pulling out his telescope and extending it, Blaine peered through, swinging his scope slowly from one side to the other. The light was getting brighter but still did not provide a large range with which to see. He thought he could just barely make out the shadowed outline of land, but he left that to David, whose judgment he better trusted. Besides, he could see farther than Blaine could anyway, being above the rest of them up in the poop deck.

What he did notice was that there were other ships around them. A lot of other ships. Blaine seriously hoped that Lord Hath had not been generous when telling about the size of the docking area. To house the many ships that Blaine could see, and the others that he knew were still coming, the dock had better be of a mammoth size.

Suddenly something caught Blaine's eye. A shimmer in the distance, far beyond the ships he could see to his right. What was that? He lifted his telescope again, but it was gone. He thought that he might have imagined it, but no, it was there. He knew he had seen something. But what? He waited for a moment to hear the booming voice of David announcing the shimmer to the right, but the sound never came. Perhaps David had not seen it? It seemed impossible; David was one of the best mariners and Blaine considered himself very lucky to have him as part of his crew. But had David actually not seen such a shimmer in the pale light? Blaine was sure it had been there.

The first thing that darted across his mind was mermaid. He'd never actually seen a mermaid. Well, one that was alive anyway. He'd heard stories of men whose ships carried out the sole purpose to hunt down the creatures. He thought that the stories were just rouses, to get crewmen to sign up to sail when times were tough. But he'd been proven wrong long ago when he was out among the marketplace one afternoon and had seen a mermaid up close. She was beautiful, so very beautiful, with pale skin and long light brown hair that hung limply down her back. A rope had been tied around her waist and another around her neck that kept her hanging in the air, her tail draped across the table for onlookers to see. She was also dead, her eyes closed and chest unmoving. Blaine thought he might cry to see such a gorgeous creature treated this way, even in death. And when he realized what exactly they'd been hunting her for, he felt sick to his stomach. Blaine realized he'd been staring and then the seedy man ran his hands over her yellow tale, scales still shimmering faintly, and he asked, "Beautiful thing, ain't she? Gonna cost you a pretty penny there lad."

Blaine felt the words catch in his throat, but he'd managed to say, "I don't want to buy her." He had a lot of other things to say on the matter, but his heart was pounding with so much pain for the poor mermaid that he couldn't do anything but stand there in awe.

"Then be on your way," the man spat. "Stop blocking the view of the customers."

And he'd hurried away, feeling nothing but pity. The mermaid had been treated like a slab of meat, laid out there in the sun for people to gawk at. It was horrible. To take another's life just for the value of being something pretty to look at?

He'd seen other mermaids before, some even in the Lord's home, but nothing scared him more than the lifeless body of the one he'd seen so long ago. He'd heard stories that some people who captured them kept them as pets to sing for them. Never having heard a mermaid's song before, he did not know what the allure was, but he hoped he never heard one. A mermaid's song was supposed to be so powerful, you lost sense of who you were and were overcome with the desire to take down the beautiful thing and claim it as your own. Those who were 'lucky' enough to have a mermaid, alive or dead, were highly praised. There were those who, like Blaine, thought that it was murder and wrong at every level, but save for his crew, he'd only ever met a handful of them.

He didn't know if that was the shimmer of a mermaid's tail he'd seen in the dawn, but as the sun was fully risen by now and the crew was hard at work preparing the ship to dock, he seriously hoped, for the mermaid's sake and his own, that she was smart enough to go far away before she was seen or heard. Blaine didn't know if he could take it if he watched another mermaid lose her life for the greed of the people he'd tried hard not to associate with. Blaine may be a human, but he felt he had more of a heart than the obvious black holes that rooted in those men's chests.

Don't get caught here. Swim far away, little mermaid.


	3. Chapter 3

Every six months, there were thirty ships that came into harbor on the Jeluian coast to unload cargo that would supply the land with essentials for the next half a year. And Kurt knew every ship. The king had his own orders and two of the ships supplied his own needs. The king was a greedy man, but for the most part, he kept his people happy and gave them no reason to dislike him. But as the crates of expensive silks and jewels and the most precious food came off the ships headed to the palace, Kurt sighed. He didn't know why one person needed all of those fancy human things. It made no sense. His father had plenty of riches, yet he made sure that there was not one merperson who was hungry or unhappy if he could help it. Kurt had seen the poor men and women and sometimes children who roamed the outlands of the castle and he wondered if the king was so rich, why didn't he do anything to help these people?

Kurt placed his hands on the edge of the rock he was hiding behind and peeked over to get a better view of the ships. Yes, he knew them all by heart and had seen them all from this exact hiding place for years now. The one closest to him held the jewels for the king, so the men delivering them would be closest to the palace and wouldn't have a chance to have a mishap with his precious cargo getting lost. There were four or five crates. Those couldn't all hold lose gemstones. Perhaps some were filled with gold or silver or jewelry. There went the men, back and forth as they hauled the cargo up to the grand entrance, where the king was standing watch over it all. Kurt would get closer to the ships but he couldn't risk being seen. If only the king had somewhere else to go, Kurt could-

And then it happened. Kurt's silver lining. A servant approached the king and whispered in his ear. There was a short conversation and the king turned and trumped back into the palace. He didn't know how long he would be gone, but Kurt was not about to let this chance go. He slithered out from behind the rock and ducked below the waters, swimming with a purpose towards the closest ship. When he stuck his head above water, he heard many voices talking and yelling orders and the general chaos of a delivery. There was a man who was leaning with his back up against the shining wooden railing, bracing himself on his elbows and shouting a quick command. Kurt pressed himself up against the ship's hull. Had he been seen? He didn't notice if the man's eyes had looked out over the water before he'd turned. No, if he'd been seen, there would be a hundred guns pointed at him before he could even blink. He was worth more alive, but he knew they would also take him dead if he wouldn't surrender.

Kurt allowed himself to crane his neck upward to try and get a better look. This man was dressed in the general wear of someone who was middle class, but he held himself tall and spoke with authority. Kurt guessed he was the captain? But why had a commoner been placed in charge of the king's cargo? It didn't make sense, but he supposed there had to have been a good reason. The wind picked up and Kurt could see the man's dark hair blow around in the breeze. The curls lifted and exposed a bit of tan skin on his shoulder, where his thin white shirt was hanging loosely as it shifted in the cool air. Kurt was left with a curious feeling in his stomach when the man shifted and then moved out of his line of vision. He leaned forward, willing a wave or something to push him up higher so he could see. But it was no use. The man was out of sight. Kurt frowned, wanting to see him again. Something was drawing him, pulling within his very being. He'd never felt this before. This was… different. This was enticing, intoxicating.

He carefully crept along the side of the ship, ready to sink down under the water in a moment's notice to avoid being seen, but his caution wasn't needed. No one was paying any attention to the water. He slunk ever closer, feeling the rough wood under his palms and the shift of the seaweed stuck with barnacles on the ship's hull brushing against his tail. He dipped back under the water only to reappear a moment later, putting five feet between where he was and where he ended up in a second. It was much faster to swim than to wade along with his torso above water. And it was kind of uncomfortable. He was half human so he did need air, but it was more comfortable to be under the water. Being above water for too long made his lungs ache.

As he neared the dock, he peeked upwards and noticed that the curly-haired man was leaning against the railing again, but this time, Kurt could see his entire body as he stood watch on the top of the ramp leading to the dock. He moved forward a few more feet, just below the dock and looked up again, hoping this gave him a better vantage point. He sucked in a breath. He was the most beautiful thing Kurt had ever seen. His hair was unruly in the wind and his shirt fluttered along with the breeze, his black pants cuffed at the ankles above simple black shoes that were clearly those of a middle class man. His shirt dipped down in a V that ended at the top of his sternum, a single lace looping through the widely set holes, but was untied and revealed more of that golden skin and Kurt could see a bit of the dark, curling hair on his chest, which he'd honestly always been kind of fascinated by. It was kind of a silly fascination, but he'd watched sailors go to and from the ships, and when it was warm, most of them had their shirts off. A mermaid, male or female, was hairless except for what was on their head, eyebrows and eyelashes. It seemed weird at first, hair on a man's chest? But he'd grown used to seeing it and wondered that if he ever met a human, would they gawk at his hairlessness in the same way he had gawked at them?

Kurt still could not take his eyes off this man. There were creases and shadowed lines along his arms that showed clearly developed muscles and Kurt could guess the same would be true for his legs, stomach and back. He had the arms of a sailor. That meant he must have somehow worked his way up right? Started as a simpleton and eventually became the one in charge? Kurt was kind of jealous. He'd been born a royal and he was treated differently than everyone else. He'd grown up knowing nothing but the life he was born into, the life of a prince. He kind of wanted to know what it was like to be like the man standing on the ramp.

Then the man looked out towards the sea and Kurt shrunk down. His instincts were screaming at him to duck underwater, but he had caught sight of this man's eyes and he just couldn't tear his eyes away. Those eyes were hazel, but more green than brown in color and stared out as if trying to take in the entire ocean in that one glance. The sun was high in the blue cloudless sky and it was casting rays down, making the ripples in the water gleam. But more importantly, it turned the man's eyes to shimmering emeralds. Even scrunched up slightly to block out the sun, his eyes were so beautiful. And then someone called his name and he turned, gone in a second.

"Barnacles," Kurt cursed under his breath. If he'd been listening, he could have heard the man's name. He knew nothing about him and yet, Kurt knew that he had to meet him. He had to. He could… start to sing and-

Wait. What was he doing? Kurt wanted to slap himself. He was seriously considering exposing himself, offering himself up for capture and who else knows what all for the slim chance that he might be able to speak to this one man.

Get it together Kurt, he chastised himself. But he found himself craning his neck in the hopes that he could see him again.

He was gone. Kurt groaned and sunk beneath the waves, leaving little bubbles from his exhaling breath in his wake.

*********

"Ah! Blaine! Good to see you, boy. Good to see you."

Blaine bowed and offered a smile, meeting eyes with King Theon, who was dressed in purple today, making him look slightly red in the face in contrast with his stark white hair. "And you as well, sir. I hope today finds you well?"

The king clapped a hand on Blaine's back, watching as the last of his crates from Blaine's ship were being brought in. "I always feel a bit brighter on delivery days." He winked and laughed, his protruding stomach jiggling. There was no missing that this man had enough money to enjoy such luxuries as rich food and drink. Blaine could still remember the times after his parents had died that he'd been unable to afford a single meal. It had been a while since he'd felt the awful pangs of hunger that deteriorated his very will to live and he was thankful that while he did not have an excess amount of food at his disposal, he did not have to worry about going to bed hungry. The king continued, "When I heard Lord Hath was sending another captain, I had to admit I was rather nervous. What with so many valuable items onboard. But rest assured, he shall be receiving a well written letter on my behalf. He must be very proud to have a fine lad like you working for him."

"Thank you, sir. I feel honored to be able to be of service to Lord Hath, when he needs me."

"I suspect you'll likely be receiving a promotion upon your arrival back in Jeulian. You've done fine work, my boy. Fine work." King Theon never really took the time to get to know all of the captains of the ships. He was not interested in making friends. However, he made an exception for the captains who handled his most precious interest. And he made sure they were treated well. "I believe Lord Hath told you what to expect after the accounted delivery?"

"He mentioned it, though it was hardly my place to ask him to elaborate."

"Of course it's your place, my boy! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were one of my servants! Not your place? Stand tall, stand proud, and ask away. Not many people are as lucky as you. Next time, ask, but for now, I'll go over the procedure so you'll know for next time."

Blaine nodded and slowed his pace a bit. He was used to walking quickly, always rushing to get something done, a habit he'd picked up from his times of running back and forth between different jobs when he'd barely earned enough to buy a loaf of bread. He was so unused to this leisurely lifestyle and had to remind himself to keep pace with the king. Thankfully, if the king noticed, he said nothing and continued to lead Blaine through the lavish castle grounds.

"Once the cargo has been unloaded and accounted for, the captain of the ship (that would be you) comes straight to me. I normally wait by the entrance, however I was called away to the most unfortunate news. I have a banquet to celebrate a delivery day, just a little something with friends, and my head servant informed me that the roast pig I serve twice a year for such an event was only twenty pounds. Can you imagine that? Twenty pounds! Why, that won't feed myself and my dog! Thankfully the cook was able to remedy the situation by getting a few wild geese for our table. Not the most ideal, but it will have to do." He paused and a curious look came over his face. "What was I talking about? Ah, yes! Do forgive me, I tend to get ahead of myself. After you meet me at the entrance, a servant will take you to your room. You and your crew are given a week's stay here at the palace in lieu of receiving payment for the week. You'll still be paid for your journey to and from here, though, and while you're here, you will be fed and allowed to do whatever you wish, within reason of course. Not a bad deal, eh? Your crew will share the chambers in the lower part of the castle, two to a room, and you will have your own room in the first wing. Now, dinner is at six and I believe there should be a bath waiting for you."

Blaine was astounded by the grandeur of this castle. He'd never seen anything this… well, expensive. He was even afraid to step on the polished stones that formed the walkway as he was quite sure his shoes had never touched anything this close to royalty. He hardly noticed they'd come to a stop outside a door that was made of polished wood, a gleaming gold handle waiting for him to turn it.

"You can direct any requests to Becky inside and she'll get it done."

"Thank you, sir."

King Theon smiled, clapped him on the back once more and turned to leave. Blaine watched him walk away and noticed a servant following along behind him. Had that man been there the whole time? Blaine shook his head. Imagine being rich enough to pay someone to stray along behind you like a lost puppy to cater to your every whim! Just the thought was ridiculous. He had no idea what awaited him behind this door, but if he had to guess, he'd suppose it would be grand.

And oh, was it grand. Blaine twisted the handle and pushed open the door. The room was large. Blaine would guess it was larger than his entire house back in Hali. There was a huge bed with ruffled sheets that just looked soft enough to be a cloud. A large armoire was on the opposite wall, open and stocked with clothes that waited for him to put them on. Opposite the door he came in, there was a vanity and a mirror that was so clear it didn't seem real. A chandelier lit with dozens of candles hung overhead and there were more lamps around the room. Another desk was in a small room off to the side, a stack of parchment in the center and a quill and ink bottle next to that. His eyes swept across the room and just when he thought there couldn't possibly be anymore, there was a light that led him to the bathroom.

He almost had a heart attack when he found himself face to face with a short blonde girl. She was dressed in the fashion of the royal palace, though her clothes were much plainer than that of a royal. She was the servant King Theon had told him about.

"Good afternoon, sir. I have your bath drawn if you care to take it. The bathroom is through there." She gestured to yet another door.

"Oh, umm, thank you, Becky." He didn't really know how to respond, but headed to the bathroom to relieve himself. When he emerged, Becky was standing by the sink and offered him a towel after he had washed his hands.

"Do you care for your bath? Or you may wish to rest before supper. Or I could have a small meal brought up if you prefer."

A meal before dinner? How absurd. Then again, he was in the presence of a girl whose job was to cater to his every need. Nothing should seem absurd now. "Actually a bath sounds great."

She nodded and moved forward. Blaine tensed when she began to undress him and lift his shirt over his head. He'd never had someone undress him like this. It was very odd. He didn't know how anyone could get used to this. He almost felt ashamed for the state of his clothes being sweaty and sticky and dirty and probably more than a little smelly. His very clothes were out of place here amidst all this grandeur. When she had neatly folded his shirt, he held out a hand.

"Umm, I can do the rest. Thanks."

He paused and she moved over to the large tub and added some pale pink liquid to the water. Blaine had no idea what it was but it looked like some kind of oil. When she turned around, her expression clearly showed that she was expecting Blaine to have his clothes off so she could start to fold them.

"Is something not to your liking?"

"Oh, well, uh, no, no it's fine. I just, umm… you know what? I am feeling kind of thirsty. I wonder if you could be so kind as to get me a glass of water? And maybe with a lemon in it?"

She nodded and moved to the door. "Of course."

When she was gone, Blaine let out a sigh of relief and shut the bathroom door. Undressing himself, he laid out his pants and underwear on the chair where his shirt rested and tested the water temperature with his hand. It was warm, but not hot and he slowly lowered himself in. He couldn't help the sigh that fell from his lips. He had not taken a bath in many years. Not since he was a small child, when his mother bathed him in the large bucket once a week in their home. And that water had been cold. In addition to being pleasantly warm, this water itself felt sort of silky. Blaine presumed it was whatever Becky had added. He closed his eyes and relaxed, sinking back against the tub.

**********

Blaine had no idea how long it had been, but it couldn't have been long because the water was still warm, when Becky returned. She didn't knock, just opened the door and Blaine had a split second of realization before he knew what was happening. It wasn't enough time for him to jump up and grab a towel to cover himself. Not enough time to do anything but feel his eyes widen in shock as he sat completely exposed in the tub. Becky had a glass of cold water in her hands, twists of lemon floating delicately within. She didn't seem to notice Blaine's distress, didn't even show any sign that it fazed her that he was naked, and just walked up to the tub and held out the glass.

Blaine just stared at her. He swallowed and took a short breath.

Becky blinked, retracting her hand a bit. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Blaine said, voice a bit higher pitched than usual. "Nope. Nothing's wrong. I… umm…. I'm going to get out now."

Becky nodded and turned to set the glass down on a table by the sink, returning with a fluffy white towel and holding it out. Blaine knew she was waiting for him to get out and he knew that this was her job, but he still felt awkward as he lifted himself out of the tub and she wrapped the towel around his waist.

"Umm, thank you, Becky." He could feel that his neck was red and his ears were burning as they did when he was embarrassed.

She smiled at him and disappeared, only to return a moment later with expensive-looking clothes. Blaine assumed they came from the armoire. She laid out the outfit and said, "If you approve, I think that this will be fitting for tonight's dinner."

That one outfit probably cost more than his entire savings. It seemed to be made of silk and velvet and lace.

"Umm, actually, Becky, I'm really not feeling well. If you could perhaps give my apologies to King Theon…"

"Are you ill? Shall I send for the doctor?"

"Oh, no. Nothing serious. Just tired. I think a good sleep will be more than enough."

She considered him for a moment. "If you're sure. Certainly, I'll tell him. But expect he'll want you at dinner tomorrow."

"Of course."

Becky disappeared again and placed a bundle of clothes on the chair, the rejected fancy attire held close to her chest.

"Will you be needing anything else?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine, thank you."

She nodded. "I'll be here in the morning with your breakfast and if you need anything, ring the bell."

"Thank you, Becky."

She left, gently closing the door behind her. Blaine let out a sigh and upon realizing his hand was clutching his towel around his waist, he loosened his grip and let it fall to the floor. After dressing in his provided nightclothes, he laid the towel out to dry and stepped out. Most of the lamps had been doused, casting the room in a dim glow, and the bed had been turned down. He slid under the softest covers he'd ever felt and let his body sink into the fluff. This one room was more than he could ever need or want. He really didn't know how people could live like this, but he guessed if you were accustomed to it, you wouldn't think twice. But it was all so strange to Blaine.

A growling in his stomach reminded him that he actually was hungry, but had wanted to avoid the sure to be over-the-top dinner and he was exhausted. He sighed and closed his eyes. It wouldn't be the first time he'd gone to bed hungry.


	4. Chapter 4

The man with the curly hair and hazel eyes.

That was the one thought on Kurt's mind, the one thing he couldn't stop thinking about. It was ridiculous. He shouldn't be so enthralled with this one human, this human whose name he didn't even know. And yet, he was.

Kurt had meandered slowly beneath the waters, staying low enough to avoid being seen, but enough to where he could see the shadowed outlines of the looming ship and the glow of the sun on the water's surface. He stayed, even when he was positive that the final deliveries had been made and only some of the crew was left on the ship to finish their daily jobs. Kurt knew he should not stay, he knew he needed to go back. His father was going to be livid, but Kurt really didn't care. He was an adult now and was supposed to be able decide for himself how his life was going to unfold. But it hadn't felt like that for a long while. He sighed.

"Do what you must. As long as it makes you happy," Kurt recited softly, but rolled his eyes as he finished in a mocking tone, "and you don't go past the Wall."

That had been a mantra for when Kurt was growing up. He was free to explore and learn, as long as he stayed within the boundaries set up long ago surrounding the Kingdom of Tras. The Wall was really just a name. It wasn't a wall at all. He'd swam out to it once, just to see what all the fuss was about. Even as he'd neared the Wall, he knew it wasn't as impressive as he'd imagined and really it was just a… well, a cliff. The floor underneath him sloped up a bit until it was chest height (hardly cause for the name like it had been given) and when he'd looked over, all he could see was blue. Looking down, he could see that the Wall dropped into a very steep, very sharp, very flat line of a cliff. Down, down, down into the abyss until his line of vision couldn't pick up the outlines anymore. Breathing out a shuttering sigh, he'd shaken his head and turned his gaze outwards, as looking down into nothing made him dizzy. There really didn't seem to be anything out there except more ocean. His entire world had turned a shimmering blue and he'd had to turn and look behind him into the outskirts of civilization to remind himself that he hadn't gone blind or something.

There were stories passed around when he was little. Some were told to him by his parents, some he heard snatches of as people passed by, and others he thought he might have made up when he'd sometimes dreamed about the Wall before he'd seen it. It was hard to know what was real. He'd asked his father of course, but he was always vague in his answers, which only made him frustratingly more curious. But even in that day, when he'd peeked over the Wall and seen nothing but a great expanse of blue, he'd remembered the warnings.

"Inside the Wall, we are safe, my son. Inside the Wall, we are protected. Inside the Wall, nothing can harm you."

The Kingdom of Tras was large (Kurt didn't know how big in terms of size, but it had taken him almost a full day of swimming to reach the Wall's edge), but thankfully included the shores of the Jeulian palace and the docking areas. That meant that Kurt's biyearly ogling of the humans wasn't technically off limits. His father had warned him of them too. It was what he grew up learning. From the moment he could retain information and be conscious of what it meant, he had been told that humans were bad. As much as he was taught to swim, to speak, to think on his own, he was taught to fear the ones with two legs. And he knew his father had a valid point. These teaching had been around for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years, but he could still hear his father's voice.

"Humans are dangerous, Kurt. They bring nothing but trouble and leave only hurt in their paths. They're greedy and don't care what it costs to get what they want. Never go near them, Kurt. Do you understand me?"

It hadn't been long after that before his mother had been killed. He didn't know the details and he didn't want to. All he knew was that the humans had killed his mother; he didn't need to be left with the dreams his mind would create if he knew even an inkling of how she had died. Oh, he could imagine it accurately enough. Ropes, spears, knives, torches, guns. Kurt was not a stranger to the human weapons; he had enough of them stashed in his hidden cave, to rest there forever and never be used for bad again. He hadn't thought vividly about his mother's death in a long time.

But there had to be something else, something his father didn't know, something the merpeople from thousands of years did not know. There had to be something they'd gotten wrong, had mixed up, when they were inscribing the textbooks for future generations. All humans couldn't have the same hatred (or fascination depending on what view you took) for the merpeople. They just couldn't. There was no way he could get his father to open his eyes though. It was understandable, when you took into consideration that it was for the fault of the humans that the queen was dead, that King Burt's wife was forever gone, that the kingdom had lapsed into silence for that dreadful period of hopeless mourning. But when Kurt saw the curly-haired man's face in his mind as clear as though he had just seen it a second ago, he knew that not all humans shared the same feelings and they weren't a species to be feared. If anything, they should be dealt with with caution, but certainly not the fear that held the entire kingdom in its grasp.

Floating along on his back and snapping out of his thoughts, he shot up when Kurt realized that the bright glow of the midday sun was deepening into a hazy orange. The sun was setting. He had been gone almost the entire day. Turning quickly, he swam with all of the haste he could manage back towards the palace.

**********

Blaine wasn't sure how much more of this royalty thing he could take. He wasn't even actual royalty, only a guest, and it was threatening to drive him crazy. He'd woken as the sun was beginning to set and despite his efforts, he was going to be awake for a while. Sleep, that had seemed so inviting earlier, now avoided him as he laid in bed and stared at the intricate carvings in the ceiling tiles. The fluffy comforter was so much more than anything he'd ever slept on or even felt.

With a groan, he kicked off the heavy material over him and stretched out on the bed, where his body immediately sunk into the mattress. Breathing out a long sigh, he trailed his gaze along the ceiling again, wishing he could see the stars. He'd spent many a night gazing upwards whenever he could and as a sailor, he'd loved being able to work at night, where on most nights, he could see a vast clear dark blue overhead and the stars that dotted the canvas that was their sky. It was comforting to see the stars at night. But here…

He sighed again. It wasn't just that he couldn't see the stars.

He didn't belong here. He could feel it in his bones. As much time as he'd spent dreaming of a new and better life, now he realized that he was perfectly content with his old one. And he couldn't wait to get back to his ship, where he could sail again and feel at home on the sea. He was thankful he only had to stay here a week. If he was offered the position as a permanent captain, then he'd have to put up with it for two weeks. But two weeks would be worth it.

He closed his eyes and imagined constellations above him and hoped that soon he would be able to fall asleep.

***********

When Kurt arrived back at the palace, he knew he would be immediately hounded with questions, no matter how much he had hoped to just slip back into the monotonous currents of the ever-flowing river that made up his life. As he'd rushed home, there had been a million alibis running through his mind. And how that he was here, he couldn't remember a single one.

"Kurt Elizabeth Hummel!"

It had been his father who'd met him at the door and who now paced back and forth, with Kurt seated in the middle of the room. The only other people occupying the space were the two guards at the door.

"What were you thinking? We were halfway to the ceremony when Carole noticed you were missing. Don't think we didn't know that Finn was trying to cover for you. He wouldn't tell us why you left, but by gods Kurt, to be gone the whole day without so much as a single word? Your mother and I have been sick worrying about you! I almost sent out the royal guard to look for you. We had to cancel the ceremony!"

"I'm sorry," Kurt said feebly. He felt bad about causing them grief and even worse about having the ceremony canceled.

"Sorry isn't good enough, Kurt. If you're going to take over this throne, then you need to-"

"Maybe I don't want it."

There was a tense pause and then, "What did you say?"

Kurt licked his lips and raised his eyes to meet his father's. "Maybe I don't want to take the throne."

"What is this about, Kurt? You haven't been yourself and something needs to change. You've been distant, you've been acting out, you haven't been you. What's going on?" His father's voice held curiousity, but also a demand.

Kurt sighed. And he told them the truth, because he knew he owed his father that, at the very least. "I'm not happy. Everything here, about this place, it just… it's so… confining. This is my home and I feel trapped. I feel like I'm suffocating and I don't want to live like this anymore. Everything here is always the same, always constant and I feel like I'm running out of time to change it. I need to change it."

"And what would you change exactly?"

He paused and thought. "Well… I… I want to…" Cursing himself for not having a bolder voice, now he let the truth ring in his words and hope that they would make up for his falter. "I want to live with the humans."

The words sounded stupid to his own ears. That wasn't how he meant his thoughts to come out. He winced and tried to gather his thoughts to repair the sentence, but Burt was already speaking, moving closer with every soft word.

"You want to live closed up in a tank and made to sing like the pretty thing they think you are?"

"No, no, I-"

"You think that that isn't more confining than this?" Burt spread his arms wide and Kurt could see the desperation beginning to flash in his father's eyes. "You think that they would make an exception because you are so willing to leave and enter their world? You think that they wouldn't kill you on the spot? You think that they're any different than the ones who killed your mother?"

The words hurt. They cut through Kurt like ice. Tears stung his eyes. But he was surprised to hear himself speak.

"They're not all bad! How can they be? They're not all the same, and just like all of us are different. They're-"

"Different? How can they be different, Kurt? All they want is more-"

"You don't know them!" Kurt shouted, feeling the anger rise in his blood. He pictured the man on the loading dock. He couldn't be like the humans he'd been taught to fear. He just couldn't.

"And you do?" His father's voice boomed over his own, effectively silencing him.

Kurt whimpered despite his anger and Burt ran a hand over his head. When he next spoke, his words were quiet again and attempting to be soothing.

"Kurt, I've done all I can to protect you. I can't, I won't, lose you the same way as Elizabeth. The humans are not good. They can't be trusted and they have proven that time and time again. No one is allowed to leave the Wall for a reason. There are others who live outside this and between the next kingdom, but they are the banished, the exiled, left to the sea and the dangers should they choose to go looking for them. People are safe here, and you are too. I won't risk your safety. I'm forbidding you to see the humans anymore, Kurt."

"What?" The hurt and confusion washed over him like a tidal wave. He balled his fists at his hands. "You can't do that! I'm not a child anymore." He narrowed his eyes and flicked his tail to move towards the door.

"Kurt!"

He sighed and despite his own inner monologue, he turned at his father's commanding voice.

Again, his father surprised him by moving close and placing his hands on his shoulders. "Son," his voice was soft again and his eyes were filled with concern, "please. You're right. You're an adult now and I know I can't force you to stay, but… It's time for you to make your own decisions. I don't know what's gotten you so riled up, but promise me you'll stay safe. We can talk about the decision regarding the throne later. Just remember that I love you and I'm worried about you. The humans…" Burt trailed away and Kurt could see the edges of pain in his eyes, as well as hear it in his voice.

"They're not all horrible, dad." Kurt whispered. "I'm going to prove it to you."

He moved away and Burt lifted his hands from his shoulders, allowing him to go, but dropped his hands at his sides. When Kurt turned, he noticed his father looked so much older.

"I'm going to the tide pools," he said gently and Burt seemed to gain a bit of peace from that knowledge. "That's the only place I'm going, I swear. And I'll be back before midnight."

At his father's soft nod, Kurt returned the gesture, and slipped out the door, letting out a deep breath as he did so. The tide pools was where he always went when he was stressed or worried. He'd been going there for as long as he could remember and by now he suspected it was simply the routine pattern that calmed him, but it still felt good to be going there. He swam in gentle strokes, letting the previous discussion trickle around his mind.

His father was only worried about him, only wanted to keep him safe. And Kurt seemed to be pushing the boundaries to make him more worried. He sighed, wishing he could have fallen for a hobby that was not so life-threatening.

*************

It was no use. Blaine pushed himself off the bed, stripping off the too-soft borrowed nightclothes and tugging on his neatly folded pants and shirt in the dark. The candles on the chandelier had long since burned out. Blaine was pretty sure he'd ended up watching them as they slowly burnt to the ends of the wicks and were snuffed out, one by one. He couldn't sleep no matter how hard he tried.

Quietly opening the door, he let himself out into the cool night air. The moon shone down upon him and gave him all the light he needed. He pocketed the key to his door and moved silently, on calloused bare feet, over the smooth walkway and out to the stairs that led down to the beach. There was no one out tonight. The entire castle was silent. Blaine suspected a drunken sleep had fallen over the grounds and everyone within them. And that was okay with him. He didn't mind being alone.

His feet trailed down the steps and once he reached the bottom, he breathed in the salty taste of the air, praying on another one of his senses that he was close to the sea. He could already hear the waves lapping lazily against the shore and to his left, just barely see the masts of the ships docked in the harbor, where his own ship was waiting to be commanded once more. Wiggling his toes in the sand, he walked close to the water's edge, where it would periodically reach up high enough to rush over his feet, only to be sucked back out with the tide. The sand grew rockier the further he walked, until he was moving with careful steps across large expanses of rock as they reached out to sea. A smile spread across his face when he found that he was quickly approaching a bank of tide pools.

He regarded the first hole set in the rocky shore and sat down, peering in to see if this pool had any inhabitants. There were a few at first glance, and Blaine watched the still waters for a long moment before laying on his back and staring up at the stars. It was quiet and peaceful here, with only the water's gentle hum and the cool night breeze on his skin to lull him to a contented calm. His eyes strayed along the starry sky, drawing invisible lines between dots to form the figures he'd read about for years. Eventually, he began to draw his own pictures in the sky and wonder if he could somehow make a new constellation, one that would stick around just as the others he'd heard of so often had.

*************

Kurt skimmed along the water and arrived at his destination quickly, seeming to have trailed the thoughts away from him that had been bubbling in his mind. He wanted a distraction right now. He sighed and poked his head above water, knowing even in the dark that he was at his favorite tide pool. It was the largest and usually had the most creatures in it, depending on the changing tide. He immediately noticed a new starfish, with a bumpy exterior the color of deep red coral streaked with purple. Smiling, he hoisted himself up on his elbows and reached his hand in to gently pluck the creature from the rock and hold it in his palm. He lifted the medium sized thing up to let the moonlight reflect off of the water droplets still clinging to the starfish's skin.

As his eyes trailed over the purple patterns, he happened to look up. He had to swallow his gasp and almost dropped the poor starfish. Setting it down quickly, he dropped down until only his eyes were above the water. There were a dozen different sized pools here and no more than four pools down, at the beginning of the line, was a man laying on his back with his hands tucked up under his head. Kurt held his breath. He hadn't been seen. He blinked and allowed himself to watch, ready to duck under at a moment's notice. But he didn't need to worry, because it appeared this man was asleep.

Kurt knew this man's clothes. He'd seen them before. Kurt prided himself on being able to remember outfits; they were quite intriguing to him, as he had no need for clothes. It took no more than the two seconds it took to follow the tanned curve of the man's arm for Kurt to recognize him as the man from the ship. He bit his lip and dared to swim a bit closer, moving soundlessly.

The moonlight did wonders for the man's skin. If Kurt thought he was unable to take his eyes off him in the sun, then the moon shrouded him in a pale glow that made his tanned skin stand out even more from the slightly transparent fabric of his white shirt. He inched closer and the man made a soft sighing sound. Everything in him was screaming to stay, but Kurt ducked out of sight the moment he realized the man was no longer (or maybe never was) asleep.

In a matter of seconds, Kurt had put fifty feet between himself and the shore. Confident he would be hidden within the dark sea, Kurt brought his eyes to the surface once more. Kurt was glad that he had the vision of a mermaid and could see for far distances, even at night. He watched at the man slowly sat up and ran a hand through the curls that were a bit messy and fell at his eyebrows. The man glanced up at the sky and Kurt found himself leaning his head back too, to catch a glimpse of what he found so fascinating. Kurt supposed the stars were interesting enough, but he lowered his head again and set his sights ahead, where a much more interesting prospect was sitting on the rocks.

The man had his head angled towards the pool next to him and was swirling a finger around in the cold water. Kurt had a sudden urge to sing. He didn't want to be captured, he didn't want to be taken prisoner, but he had a desire to just get this man's attention that was so strong. He couldn't expose himself, even though he already trusted the person whose name he did not know. His father's words and the years of conditioning to be afraid of the humans still rung powerfully in his ears.

If Kurt spoke, the man would think there was another human out there and he'd get worried and call for help and that just wouldn't do. Neither would blatantly flashing his tail in the moonlight. He had to know he could trust this human. He felt he already did, for some strange reason, but he had to be sure.

Confident in his decision, he waded closer. The human made no move that he'd seen something and Kurt relaxed. Taking a deep breath, he began to let the first bars hum through his lips. He kept his voice low and controlled. This song was aimed at one person and he made sure that that one person was the only one who would hear.

Almost as soon as the note left his lips, the man's head flicked up and his gaze locked to where Kurt was sure he would see him. But it seemed as if he didn't because the man didn't move, only listened carefully. The humans had learned since they were young about the mermaid's song and Kurt guessed that it was the man's first time hearing one. The look on his face gave it all away. His eyes widened in realization and then narrowed as he tried to hear better. His lips parted as if he wanted to speak, but no words passed his lips. Kurt continued to sing, not moving from his area of safety thirty feet away. The water was deep enough that he could swim away in a moment's notice.

Kurt smiled as he finished the song, hearing the notes ring in the silence. The man recovered almost immediately, which intrigued Kurt. Usually, humans seemed dazed for a bit after hearing a song for the first time, if they weren't charging towards the noise to kill or capture. He stayed still as the man stood and stared out onto the sea, his hazel eyes shifting back and forth across the waves.

"Who's there?" he whispered into the darkness.

But Kurt was gone before the uttered word had even had time to be chased away by the breeze because he knew if he stayed any longer, he might answer.


	5. Chapter 5

Since that night that Blaine first heard those beautiful notes on the water, he'd been back to the tide pools every night and every morning. He supposed it was a routine now. He knew the main reason he was going back was to hear that captivating song again, but the sea itself was just as much a pull on his subconscious to return there day after day.

There was something beautiful about the sea. He'd thought that maybe he only thought that way because he was a sailor and sailors were supposed to love the ocean, otherwise you'd go crazy stuck out there for weeks or even months at a time with not so much as a grain of sand to remind you that there was in fact land out there somewhere. But now it seemed different. He'd never really taken the time to just sit and watch the ocean and he accounted that for his ever-growing need to be by the sea now.

Sighing, he stared out into the dark waters and closed his eyes. The cool breeze carried the smell of the sea and he inhaled deeply, curling his hands into the wet sand next to him. The tide was high tonight and he'd had to move further back where his toes just barely reached the water as the waves seemed to exhale their last breath at his feet and then be sucked back out. The water was cold, but he didn't mind it and opened his eyes. It was very clear out tonight. It would be perfect sailing conditions were he on the water. The moon was full and bright and it was easy to see for some distance, past where the waves arced and tumbled, and where the water was calm and still as glass.

There were many things Blaine loved about the sea, but now was one of those times where it played with his mind. Nights like this, he thought he loved the sea best when it was just like now. But he'd remember the mornings, where the sky was grey and fog curled around the ships and floated up until it was a faint cloud in the distance and the chilly wind was reminiscent of rain and the smell of salt was strong on the air. He loved those times too, when it was calm and a powerful reminder of how much the scene would change when the sun came out.

Taking another deep breath, he smiled and stood. His eyes raked over the water and the waves seemed much calmer now, only slight indents of white on dark navy. Perfect for a swim.

He pulled off his shirt and pants, moving them far from the tide and walked out up to his calves. As he'd expected, the water was chilly, but nothing he couldn't handle. He was used to bathing in cold water after all. He waded out further, past his chest, to his shoulders, and then inhaled and pushed off of the sand with his toes. His arms spread out wide as he swam out further. It was exhilarating to be the only person out there and he took his time, floating on his back and just enjoying the way that his body felt being rocked by the bobbing current.

***********

Little did this human know, there was something else in the water. Or rather, someone. Kurt had seen him come back to the same place by the tide pools day after day. And he was there in the mornings too.

Kurt was on… better terms with his father. They had talked briefly about the humans but it seemed to cause Burt great pain so Kurt didn't bring it up again. He knew his father would be heartbroken, and furious, if he ever found out Kurt had been watching this human every night. But Kurt felt he wasn't doing anything wrong. The water was so very dark at night and it was next to impossible for him to be seen. And the fog hid him in the morning, so though Kurt sensed no harm in it, he kept his secret to himself.

And this human obviously had no idea he was there because he was now swimming out in the ocean, with a completely still and silent merman about thirty feet away. Kurt froze, watching in awe, as the man floated on his back and stared up at the dark sky, seeming completely at ease, seeming at home on the water. He wondered if he man thought as much about merpeople as he did humans. The way this man seemed so content now, Kurt smiled to himself as he thought that they should trade places. Kurt, a human, and the human a merman. But that would defeat the whole idea of wanting to get to know the man. And what if the human liked being a merman so much that he never wanted to return to being a human? And Kurt wouldn't be there to teach him how to be a merman and what to do and… Kurt frowned. Alright, it was a stupid idea. But he still wanted to at least talk to this man so desperately. However, with the human being so relaxed out here and obviously thinking he was alone, one word from Kurt would surely scare the man and Kurt didn't want to freak out and have something happen to him.

Kurt dipped under the water and swam towards shore, pursing his lips. Maybe he could sing. That would get his attention without throwing him into a frenzy. And if he sang from further away, the human would think that Kurt had been over there all along.

The tide had pulled back some and Kurt reached the little pools carved in the rock in mere moments. And just as Kurt had decided he was going to sing, his eyes darted out as he sensed movement. The human was swimming back. Kurt groaned. Well, maybe it would be best if the human was on land when he sang. He watched and waited as the man swam back. And waited. And waited. He certainly was taking his time wasn't he? But Kurt supposed the ability to swim so quickly was dependant mainly on his tail. He guessed he would swim so awkwardly if he had two legs as well. There was a reason the sea creatures had fins.

But finally the man reached an area where he could stand and Kurt watched from the water as he walked quickly over the sand and over to where he'd left his clothes. He gathered them up and quickly threw them on and turned. He was leaving. No. He couldn't leave!

The first snatches of a song burst through Kurt's lips before he could think about it. Thankfully, he had enough sense not to unleash the full power of his song and he was sure that only this human had heard. And he knew that he had heard. The man paused mid-step and stood still for a moment before turning his head to look behind him. The echoes of the notes rang against the rocks and the man's eyes searched the water with a curious look on his face. He turned his whole body around and Kurt felt his heart pound in his chest. There was no way this human was going to leave now and Kurt felt the nervousness rush through him. What if the man saw him and captured him? What if he never went home to his family again? But the man quite literally had nothing to try and capture him with and Kurt knew that if he happened to jump in the water, he could be far away in seconds, or drown the man if that's what it took. However, as the man's eyes moved down and he strained to hear the sound again, Kurt knew that there was no way he would try and hurt him. There was no way.

Filling his lungs with a quick breath, Kurt let the next notes hum through his lips. This time, he controlled his voice, making very sure that only this specific person could hear. The human's eyes widened and he went very still, as if he thought that if he moved, the sound would fade away. Kurt kept singing. It was a different song than before, one he'd learned from long ago.

It had been a day that started out ugly, from the dark clouds to the rumbling thunder. Kurt had been swimming to visit one of his friends from another kingdom, as he did about once a month, if he couldn't manage to go more than once. There had been a ship, and of course Kurt had had to stay and watch and see if he could find out more. He'd been young then and now, he wouldn't have been so stupid. He'd been watching for a while and now he listened, as a curious sound met his ears. It was a beautiful humming, much like the songs of the mermaids, but very different too. The song was enticing and so unlike anything he'd ever heard before. As he circled around in front of the ship, he noticed something that froze him in his pursuit of the noise. It was a woman. A woman on a ship. Kurt had never seen a womanon a ship before, much less one that was actually sailing. Ships were a sailor's place, a man's place and a woman didn't belong. But oh, this woman was as beautiful as the song that was coming from her lips as she leaned out on the railing. Her eyes were a clear green and her dark hair was long, with the wind pulling lightly at the softly shaped curls that framed her face. Kurt was still, letting the notes fill his ears as he committed them to memory. He would practice the song later. A man appeared behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder. His dark hair was cut short and the deep brown of his eyes seemed to be able to see for miles. But the man only gave his attention to the woman who he had his arms wrapped around. She still sang, but turned to smile at him and press her forehead to his. This had to be love, Kurt thought, and these humans could never hurt a mermaid. Kurt was sure of that. When the woman's song ended, Kurt still heard the melody in his ears and he watched sadly when the man lead the woman away. He'd wished to see them again, but after that day, he never had.

And now Kurt sang that song. It had been lost somewhere in his mind, but he remembered it as clear as when he'd first heard it. And he smiled as he sang because the human sunk to his knees and stared out into the sea.

"Who's there?" he whispered, but Kurt did not answer.

The man slumped forward, his shoulders curving over, but he kept his eyes lifted. Kurt almost paused when he realized that there were tears filling the man's eyes. He had never seen a human cry. Where they supposed to do that when they heard a song? Kurt had no idea. He'd never been so close to one before, and he'd never sang a song to a human in his life. He honestly never thought he ever would and yet, he was.

Kurt had been unconsciously moving forward, but still keeping himself hidden. The man had tears streaking his face and he just looked so sad…. But he didn't move. He stayed, almost glued to the spot by the song. Kurt felt his brows crease in worry. He hadn't meant to make him sad.

He hummed the last bars gently, watching the human's face as he did so. When the man realized the song was over, he blinked and then his eyes began to frantically search the water below him because he knew whoever had sung it was close, very close.

"Who's there? Answer me." There was a catch in the man's tone and his eyes took on a desperate shine.

Kurt had gone this far. There was no turning back. In this state, there was zero chance that the man would try and hurt him. So Kurt moved forward slowly, tail twitching involuntarily case he had to turn and swim away.

The man let out a tiny gasp as Kurt came into view. He kept his face clear above the water and made sure his tail was hidden. Kurt could not take his eyes off this man. His eyes trailed over his face, followed every trail of tears, every red line in his eyes, every wet eyelash, and every drop of water the beaded down from his dark curls.

"W-who are you?" The man spoke very softly, his hazel eyes never leaving Kurt's.

There were flecks of gold in the man's eyes, Kurt realized and found it very pretty. "I'm Kurt."

"How do you know that song?" Now the man seemed angry.

Kurt felt the lines of a frown crease his face. Nice to meet you too, he thought dully. "I heard it. A long time ago."

"Where?"

So demanding. Kurt sighed. "On a ship. There was a woman singing, and a man with her." He figured he might as well tell the truth. But the words seemed to cause the man pain because he closed his eyes and more tears fell as his hands trembled where they were spread out on the rock. Kurt came closer, intrigued. "Does this bother you?"

The human lifted his head and was quiet for a long moment. Kurt realized that in his need to get closer, he'd let the end of his tail flick out to push him forward. The man's eyes strayed to where the shimmering fins had made their appearance and he said softly, "You're a mermaid."

Kurt smirked. "Merman, actually. And you're a human. I've never spoken with a human before."

"Why now?"

Kurt shrugged. "I just felt like talking to you. What's your name?"

"Blaine."

Blaine. Kurt loved the way his name sounded as he repeated it over and over in his head. "Do all humans cry when they hear a song sung by a merperson?"

"I… I don't know. I've never heard one before."

"Why were you crying?"

When Blaine spoke, it was with the same soft tone, but now he didn't seem angry, only very deeply hurt. "It was my parents on that ship. I know it was. My mother… she… she used to sing that song to me when I was young."

"She was very pretty." Kurt said, tilting his head slightly. "Where did they sail to?"

The man's eyes darkened and he pulled himself into a more defensive posture, turning his eyes away. "They were going to Shay. Them and about half of my village. They wanted to see if they could get better jobs, a better home, a better life. They were going to send for me later, when it was safe and we could be a family again. I was with my aunt. They didn't make it." Blaine didn't know why he felt like he could trust this merman. Nothing he'd ever learned had told him that he could trust them, but he hadn't talked about this with anyone else and now he couldn't seem to stop the words and the tears. "Their ship was attacked. Pirates. They killed everyone on board, stole what little they had, and let the ship burn. I guess they were big into setting things on fire back then. I still can't smell smoke without…" Blaine let out a painful sigh and let his head hang forward.

Kurt was right at Blaine's feet, his elbows resting on the rock and he lifted his hand and set it gently on his knee. The man stiffened at the touch, but raised his head and Kurt spoke soothingly. "I'm sure you miss them. I didn't mean to make you remember."

Blaine blinked and turned his head away slightly. "It was a long time ago."

"My mother was killed too. By humans, I think. I don't know if they were pirates or not. No one tells me and I don't want to know. I miss her a lot."

"I'm sorry."

Kurt looked up, surprised. The man seemed sincere as his hazel eyes locked onto his. Kurt gave him a small smile and was glad when it was returned. It was quiet for a long time and then Blaine wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt and asked, "Have you watched humans before?"

Kurt nodded. "Whenever the ships come in. I've never seen you though."

"I've never sailed here."

"Why now?" I could have met you earlier.

"My Lord couldn't go himself."

"Lord Hath?"

"Yes. How did you know that?"

Kurt smiled. "I know all the ships that come here. And their captains."

"You really think humans are that interesting?"

"Yes. Don't you think merpeople are interesting?"

Blaine paused. "Well, I guess, but I've never really thought about it before."

"Do you think I'm interesting?"

Now Blaine laughed and the sound made Kurt want to make him laugh again. His eyes wrinkled in the corners and he looked so beautiful. "Yes, now that I've met you. And what do you think of me?"

"I think you're nothing like what my father says. And I think you are very beautiful."

Kurt could have sworn that Blaine's ears turned red. Blaine's smile was small, but it was real. "How did you know I would be here?"

"I've been watching you."

"I'm sure I should be creeped out by that, but I'm just going to ignore it." Blaine said with a little laugh and Kurt smiled again.

"You're very interesting."

"So you've said." Blaine grinned and then his smile fell slightly. "You said I'm not what your father says I am. What does he say about humans?"

Kurt's smile fell too. "He says you're not to be trusted."

"Do you trust me?"

Kurt backed away, wanting to stay but needing to get home. He'd been gone much longer than usual and he was sure someone would be wondering where he was. He did. He trusted Blaine and the conditioned voice in his head that had been screaming at him the entire time finally became something other than white noise. You can't trust him. He's a human. You can't trust him.

The look on Blaine's face was surprised, but there was something else there. A need, a desire, a plea. Don't leave. Please don't leave.

Kurt was far away now, wrestling with the words in his head and what he had just done. He'd talked to a human. Blaine. He'd exposed himself to this human, who now knew he was a merman. He'd felt elated and safe with Blaine. He wasn't supposed to feel this way. Merpeople were supposed to be afraid of the humans and yet everything in him was pulling at him to go back. He shook his head to expel the need to go forward and not back, but it was still there, tingling in his every scale though he kept pushing backwards. He had been right. There was no need to fear the humans, at least, not this human. He felt dizzy. He'd sung a song to Blaine and he had not been attacked. There had been nothing in Blaine's eyes that said he wanted to hurt Kurt.

Do you trust me?

Kurt looked out and saw the tiny figure that was Blaine now standing on the rock, hands held lightly at his sides. And right before Kurt ducked under the water, against everything he'd ever learned or been told to feel, he knew that Blaine would hear his whispered word.

"Yes."


	6. Chapter 6

Blaine returned to the tide pools the next morning. He'd been surprised and slightly hurt for some reason when Kurt swam away. But then he'd heard a voice, a whisper on the wind. "Yes." Blaine's heart had soared at that small statement. Kurt trusted him.

So he went back to the same small rocky shore the next day without a thought. He couldn't hide the hope that Kurt would be there.

There was some part of him that was still in shock that a merman would even show himself to him. He didn't ever think he'd see a mermaid alive, much less one that wanted to be seen. And better yet, this merman had seemed interested in him, had wanted to talk to him. There were moments where the words slammed into his mind: You talked to a merman. This thought occurred to him mainly when he was laying awake in bed, when he actually had time to think about what had happened. He'd never heard of a merperson actually showing themselves to a human and he couldn't remember ever hearing about someone having a conversation with one. He'd thought all merpeople were scared and skittish, yet very curious and that's why they'd only ever been briefly seen. But Kurt was different. Kurt had approachedhim. And he'd sung a song to him, a human song no less. And Kurt had talked to him and wanted to know the answers.

There were so many rumors floating around about the merpeople that Blaine didn't really know what to believe. One was the rumor that he knew best: merpeople were afraid of humans and tried very hard not to be seen, yet their curiosity of the human race led them to watch from the waters. But there were other stories, tales that had surfaced over the years that Blaine had heard snatches of while in his early years of running errands for Lord Hath in other villages: merpeople were not to be trusted, and they were vicious and cruel. A man had claimed that a mermaid had sung to him, lured him in (because no human can resist a mermaid's song of love), and when she'd touched his cheek, he'd felt elated and happy, but then she'd gripped his neck and pulled him under the water where he'd thrashed and almost drowned and had managed to get away by kicking her in the stomach. Blaine didn't put much faith in that story though because he'd heard it from the man next to him when he'd stopped for some water and that man had clearly been drunk. But there had been other tales too. The merpeople were jealous of the humans and wanted their gold; they wanted to kill all humans for the way that they hunted them (when it was their own fault for luring them in with their songs); they found the legs of the humans fascinating and wanted to drown them to find out how their legs worked.

But it was all ridiculous. Blaine didn't believe any of those rumors. The things people made up were laughable. But there had been fear behind the stories. The people who hunted mermaids were cruel and greedy for the most part -Blaine knew that firsthand- and though they seemed perfectly confident, there was always the slightest shadow of doubt that the merpeople would one day find out a way to take down the humans who killed them so mercilessly when they had the chance. Blaine didn't understand why they were hunted in the first place. It was sickening. It was horribly wrong. And when he saw Kurt's tail flash in his mind's eye, as clear as when he'd first seen it, he knew that those men were right to be fearful. How could they hurt such beautiful creatures? They would deserve what was coming to them, whatever it may be.

Blaine had tried to convince himself that he didn't care if he ever saw Kurt again because he didn't know if he ever would. But he did care. He could feel the bubble of hope rise in his chest when he thought again of how Kurt had said he trusted him. And maybe that was why he returned to the tide pool so eagerly.

He felt his heart swell with an unnamed emotion when, after a quarter of an hour, he heard the shifting water to his left and when he looked down, Kurt was at his feet.

"You're back," Blaine said, a grin on his face, not bothering to hide how happy this made him.

"I don't recall saying I wasn't coming back." A smile lit up Kurt's face too, though it seemed more controlled, more dignified, than Blaine was sure his own goofy grin looked.

Kurt blinked and looked up to Blaine, swimming closer and bringing his forearms up to rest against the edge of the rock Blaine was seated on.

"Well I'm glad you're here."

Kurt's arms and upper chest were now visible and his pale skin was bright in the moonlight, the water droplets shimmering. "Are you?"

"W-well, yeah." Blaine stammered, feeling the heat rise up his neck. "I just thought—"

"Relax." Kurt smiled. "I'm kidding. You know, you're very funny when you get embarrassed."

"Who says I'm embarrassed?" Blaine countered, feeling slightly put out at being made fun of by the beautiful creature he knew he couldn't compare to.

"The color of your skin says you're embarrassed."

Blaine was quiet, chewing the inside of his cheek. But Kurt smiled again and Blaine felt his embarrassment drain away.

"So you've never talked to a human before?"

Kurt shook his head, confirming the question. "And you've never seen a merperson?"

Blaine shook his head too. "Well, not al—No, I haven't."

"Oh." Kurt looked down, then back up, the idea rolling around in his mind. "Would… would you like to?"

Blaine's eyes narrowed slightly, unsure. "Are you sure?"

"No one else can see us right?"

He turned his head and looked left and right and behind him, but all there was were sandy shores and more rocks. There wasn't anyone out tonight. He nodded.

Kurt turned and used his arms to lift himself up and out of the water, perching on the edge of the rock and allowing his tail to come into full view. The scales shined in the moonlight and he lifted the rest of his tail out, where the water dripped off and back into the sea.

"Oh, wow." Blaine breathed, amazed that he could make any sound at all.

Kurt was beautiful. Well, he knew that already. But Kurt was beautiful.

He'd braced himself with his palms flat out behind him on the rock and leaned back a bit to be able to lift his entire tail out of the water for Blaine to see. Kurt's skin was milky white, his lips a pale pink, and eyes so brightly blue Blaine felt that Kurt might be staring into his very soul for all he knew. It was rumored that some merpeople had powers, though the more people started delving into those ideas, the more ridiculous they became. Someone spouted off that merpeople could fly or control the tides or kill a human just by looking at them. But with Kurt, Blaine only saw pure beauty.

When Blaine was able to tear his gaze away from Kurt's big blue eyes ringed with long, thick dark eyelashes, his eyes traveled down the slight definition of muscle under Kurt's human skin that ended at his hips where the tail began. Kurt's tail was at least the length of Blaine's entire height, powerful and sleek. He felt entranced by the uniform scales that lined up in row after row from Kurt's narrow hips down to where the tail spread out into a flowing triangular shape, the fluttering ends hanging, pulled down by gravity and dripping seawater. The turquoise blue shined in the moonlight and seemed to shift to different shades of the color as Kurt gently swayed his tail side to side.

"Do you like it?"

The question caught him off guard and he stuttered through his words. "I… Kurt… It's beautiful."

A proud grin filled Kurt's face. "Thank you." He slowly lowered his tail back into the water. "It's awfully heavy though without the weightlessness of water. And it itches in the air." Kurt pulled a face and scratched with long, thin fingers at a spot where his thighs would be if he were he human.

"What does the air do to make it itch?" Blaine had finally brought his eyes back up to Kurt's face, away from the gorgeous tail, and now found it hard to realize why he had ever been able to take his eyes off of Kurt's eyes in the first place.

"Nothing. It's what it lacks." Kurt explained, stretching his arms out in front of him and then leaning back again. "Seawater has salt, yes? I am half-human so I do need air, but it's more comfortable to be in the water for long periods of time. I can go a long time without air. But without salt? I wouldn't last more than a few days. Merpeople need the salt in the water to live. I won't die just having my tail out of the water for a minute or two, but it starts to itch. It's my body's way of saying 'Hey! Don't forget we need salt!'" Kurt laughed. It was the first time Blaine had heard him laugh and he felt a smile pull at his lips in just hearing the sound. "It's odd, I guess, but if that's what it takes to stay alive…. I suppose you could compare it to the way your human fingers get wrinkly if you've been in the water too long. Your skin needs air, mine needs salt."

Blaine nodded slowly. "That makes sense. There's a lot I don't know about merpeople."

"Ah, a lot you don't know or a lot that humans don't know in general?"

"Well, both. We, humans in general and me, don't know much about merpeople in any case."

"What do you know?"

Blaine tilted his head and leaned back further, eyes on the stars above them. "Mostly just rumors. Hard to know what's true. I've heard your kind are evil and jealous creatures that would kill a human in a second; that you're shy and to make friends with a mermaid means you get a wish; that you hold extreme hostility towards humans for what they do." Blaine paused and glanced at Kurt. "And for the record, I don't believe any of that. And I especially don't agree with what some humans do to merpeople. No one, human or half-human or whatever, should be killed just for the sake of sport or for a freaking wall decoration or to act as entertainment in a fish bowl," he finished quietly.

"It's good to know you're not like the people I've heard about." Kurt said softly.

The wind changed direction and as they looked at each other, their hair blew gently around their foreheads. Somewhere in the distance, the remaining ships docked at the harbor creaked on the water. The sea rolled and pulsed with softly crashing waves, the sound soothing in the night.

Blaine's question was hesitant. He'd heard the way Kurt's voice hardened. "What have you heard about humans?"

"More of the same types of rumors you've encountered about us, I think. You're all greedy to your cores; you hunt merpeople for their tails and string up their corpses on display. That kind of thing." Kurt's voice lowered and he spoke carefully. "But I don't think you're like that. I can't speak of all humans, but… I really want to trust you."

A crease formed between Blaine's eyebrows. "I thought you already trusted me? You came back, didn't you?"

"I trust you enough to come back, yes. But I don't know if I can trust you not to hurt me. I want to. I want to so badly, but for so many years I've been told so many bad things about humans and I don't know what to think is real anymore."

Blaine swallowed and resisted the urge to take Kurt's hand. "I'm not going to lie to you. There are humans who want to capture merpeople only for their own benefit"-he didn't add that what Kurt had said he'd heard as rumors were entirely true for some people-"but I promise you," he held Kurt's gaze, never wavering, needing him to know that he meant this, "I will never hurt you."

A faint smile ghosted on Kurt's lips. "That's comforting to know. I'll try as best I can, but understand you'll have to be patient."

"Of course. I'm plenty happy just sitting here with you and talking."

Kurt blinked and met Blaine's eyes again. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you. I need to get home."

"Home?" Blaine sat up straighter.

Using his arms to control the shift of his weight, Kurt slid forward and lowered himself into the water, clear ripples streaming out in a circle around him. He looked up and his eyes seemed to grow brighter. "A story for another day, perhaps."

"You'll be back tomorrow?"

"I think so. I'm finding it very hard to stay away from you, Blaine." The soft smile was back again.

Blaine couldn't help the way he felt when he heard his name on Kurt's lips. He paused and Kurt turned and in a moment, it would be too late.

"Kurt."

He looked back and Blaine felt that he had to say this, though he was sure it was a given. The stars sparkled on the water and Kurt was the epitome of gorgeous with the silky dark water slinking over his smooth skin.

"Stay safe. Please. I mean, don't… don't be seen. Or… or captured." Blaine felt that the words sound stupid on his tongue. Kurt was risking being seen when he came here, but no one else ever came down to the tide pools tucked into the side of the beach at this time of night. But to his surprise, Kurt smiled.

"I try not to. I'm a very fast swimmer."

And he slid under the water. Blaine was sure he was far away with nothing more than the fading ripples where his torso had disappeared.


	7. Chapter 7

Kurt had heard a story of a creature who lived beyond the Wall. Some say she was banished, some say she left. Either way, the story of a powerful mermaid who resided outside the palace was one that many knew, though no one could ever confirm or deny the true extent of her abilities. As Kurt swam in increasingly narrow circles around his room, he held his hands behind his back and thought. The captains of the ships and their crew were given board at the palace on land for a week after docking. That left him with very little time. Six days now before Blaine would be gone. Only King Burt had the power to magically transform Kurt into a human if he wanted that permanently. But he only needed a little time. Only a week. Surely this powerful being would be able to do that? One week, tops. A few days was all he needed.

Kurt paused in his pacing. Maybe he really had gone crazy. He'd talked to Blaine twice and was even thinking about being forever transformed into a human? It was ridiculous. Even Finn wouldn't make such a stupid and hasty decision. But… it would only be a few days. Hardly the life-sentence of being forever and irrevocably changed. Kurt turned and looked at himself in his full-length mirror, watching as the current lifted his hair around his face and the gentle muscle contractions in his tail that kept him hovering in this spot. He gazed down his torso and when he got to his tail, he imagined legs. It was an odd thing to think about, but he wanted this more than anything.

More than anything? His mind repeated the thought over and over. Did he really want to be a part of Blaine's world so badly that he would give up the entirety of the life he knew? Give up his brother, Finn, his father, his mother, all of his friends? A pair of shining hazel eyes filled his vision. Did he want to be a part of Blaine's world, as a human in general, or did he want to be a part of Blaine's world with Blaine?

He groaned and shook his head, hoping to clear the thought. He'd never been in love before and didn't know what it was like. But love took time to grow, didn't it? He figured he was just infatuated with being able to talk to a human and that accounted for the reason he was so happy. He trusted Blaine. He did. He knew he did. There was no other explanation for why he felt so comfortable around him. He knew he should have some kind of guards up in case Blaine was lying, but it didn't seem like he had a reason to lie. And he'd seemed so sincere yesterday…

Kurt hoped that the reason he felt he could trust Blaine was because he could actually trust him, and not just because he wanted to trust him so badly that the feeling seemed real. He didn't even know if he would be able to find the one who could help him, but if he did and he went through with what he was planning, if he couldn't put his absolute trust in Blaine, in this one human, it would be disastrous.

But either way, he knew he had to seek out this mysterious person. If she could turn him human and it turned out he hated it, no harm done. And if he truly wanted to stay as a human forever, his choice would be solidified and he could bring his case to his father. Kurt just wasn't happy here. He was happy talking with Blaine.

It was early in the morning and he had some time before he needed to leave. He stopped in the large open common area where he knew his parents would be.

"Good morning, Kurt. How is my boy this fine morning?"

Kurt tried to smile, but it felt plastered onto his face. "I'm okay."

"Is anything wrong, dear?" Carole asked, adopting a concerned gaze.

"H-have…" Kurt looked down, then back up, not believing he was about to share this. "Have you ever felt trapped by the way you're living?"

"What do you mean?" Now Burt looked concerned too.

"I just… wondered if you ever felt like you were meant for something… else? Something other than this?"

"What's brought this on?" Burt asked. "Have you been watching the humans again?"

"No," Kurt said, surprised at how easily the lie slipped past his lips. "I feel stuck here. Like I'm supposed to be doing something else and haven't been able to get there yet."

"Oh, honey." Carole placed a hand on his shoulder and gently brushed the hair away from his forehead with the other hand. "You don't need to change. You're perfect just by being you."

"But that's what I want to change. I know I'm meant for something more."

"And one day you will be. When you take over the throne. You just need a bit of patience."

His father thought he was being comforting, but those words just drove the thought deeper into his head. If he was going to try and find the mermaid who lived in a cave, he had to go quickly.

Brushing past his parents, he bid them farewell and told them he was going out exploring. They didn't understand. This was the only thing that filled him with hope and he needed this change.

"Be safe, son. Don't go beyond the Wall," were his father's well-intentioned parting words.

He nodded, but left quickly before the shadow of what he was going to do could cross his face. He knew where he was going and swam as straight as he could, headed for the outer palace limits, the kelp forest beyond that, then the expanse of land where the Wall lay beyond. He swam with powerful strokes, propelling him further and further out.

When he reached the Wall, he paused for a moment. His heart thudded in his chest as he stared over the Wall as it jutted and dropped down into the cliff that had filled his dreams for a long time. Taking a slow breath in and letting it out just as slowly, he straightened up and without looking back, he slipped over the edge and felt the adrenaline rush through his veins as he gave his tail a sharp wave and pushed himself forward into the never ending blue ahead.

*******

There was nothing out here. It was all blue, blue, and more blue. Nothing but the wide sea. He swam down as far as he could go and when the water darkened from teal to royal purple to navy to black, he stopped before he could reach the bottom. The black waters were terrifying to him, even as a child, and the fear had never really gone away. He swam back up until he could see around him again and scanned every direction. There had to be something. There just had to be. It couldn't be all flat and void out here. There had to be something. He supposed the worst that could happen now was he went back home after wasting a day and stopped believing every rumor he heard. But there had been anxiousness and even fear in the voices of those who spoke about this mermaid. That had to count for something. No one was afraid of anything unless there was some truth behind the story.

That was what kept Kurt going. He pushed forward, though he felt completely and utterly alone now. He'd gone so far out that he could no longer see the outskirts of the palace at all in any direction. There had to be something else. He wouldn't give up hope.

He stopped again to survey his surroundings. And then he saw what he was looking for. Well, he wasn't sure if it was what he needed to find, but it was something. And in this barren and bleak area, it was everything. A distinct change in color towards the ground. Not deep enough to hit the black waters, but it was definitely down further than where he'd been hovering. It was a cave. A bunch of caves. He was sure of it. Excited now and equally nervous, he approached the dark mass with caution. Who knows what these troves could hold? As he got closer, the mass turned out to be a very, very large rock, probably something volcanic by the black exterior and small holes that dotted the surface. The thing seemed to be bigger than the palace back home. He let out a rickety breath, feeling his heart jump as he eyed the many large crevices and openings throughout the rock. So many things could be hidden here.

He closed his eyes and willed himself to calm down before he began to circle the outside, counting the doorways. Twelve. But there was one on the other side that was noticeably bigger and seemed to be the entrance. It was very dark and unwelcoming. He crept up to the opening and slowly swam inside, his eyes widening in the change of light. It was so dark. He felt his hands begin to shake. He forced himself to keep going and the tunnel around him plunged deeper and deeper into darkness until he was surrounded by the pitch blackness, where it seemed to suffocate him. He was trembling all over and found himself turning around and around in circles, trying to figure out where he had just come from so he could leave and never come back. His anxious breaths through tight lips did nothing to calm him down. He almost screamed when a voice met his ears from the depths of the dark.

"Are you lost, sugar?"

The scream died in his throat and he whirled around, his mouth hanging open in frozen terror as his eyes locked onto the pair of sparkling eyes that had just appeared.

"What's the matter? Can't you talk?"

Kurt was finding it hard to think, much less talk. But he swallowed and whispered, "Yes."

"Why are you here? Did you lose something? Or someone?" The voice demanded, low and eerily sweet, like honey dripping from a knife.

"No."

"Then you came here for something?"

"Y-yes."

There was a silence. The pair of eyes floated up closer. Now that his eyes were adjusting, he could just make out the form of a curvy woman's body, her tail floating out behind her. "Well, spit it out. I haven't got all day, you know."

"A-are you the mermaid I've heard about? The one who can change the form of one for another?"

Kurt swore he saw her smile.

"Ah. Now that depends, young prince." Before Kurt could ask, she was speaking again. "Yes, I know who you are. Hard not to. But it seems as if I'm not as well known. Why don't you come with me where we can talk face-to-face?"

Kurt swallowed. This wasn't a good idea. Every pore was screaming at him to turn around and leave. But this could be his one shot. He couldn't pass it up.

He could see her outline moving straight ahead and knowing she wouldn't wait, he followed without another word.

The further they traveled, the lighter it became and when they reached a large, open cave-like area that resembled a simple home, though not one thing matched. Kurt froze when he was able to see clearly, afraid now to go further.

"Well don't just stand there. Come in."

He did what he was told, but felt his heart speed up again. The mermaid turned and Kurt took in her long, shimmering dark purple tail, her black-as-night hair that streamed out around her face, her dark skin and her big green eyes. She put a hand on her hip as Kurt spoke.

"So you are her?"

"Mercedes is fine. And I think you've come to the right place." She circled around him, looking him up and down. "What is it you want?"

Kurt licked his lips. "I want to be human."

Mercedes had finished her observation and paused in front of him, raising an eyebrow and smiling slyly. "Don't think you're the first one to come in here wanting that."

"You've changed others into humans?"

"Oh, yes. Not permanently of course. My powers limit me greatly in that respect, but I do believe I can help you. But, as I make a point of only granting the requests of those who deserve it, tell me dear Prince Kurt: why have you gone so far out of your way to find me and ask for this, when you could have everything you want?"

Kurt held Mercedes's gaze. She kept her eyes locked on his and now folded her arms in front of her. He suddenly felt very small and very exposed. "I'm not happy with my life and I want to… to see what it's like to be human."

She pursed her lips. "Ah, ah, ah. That's not good enough."

"What do you mean? It's the truth."

"Truth or not, that isn't worthy of me wasting so much energy. Everyone wants to know what it's like 'on the other side' per say. But I only help those who deserve it."

"What do I have to do to deserve it?"

"You tell me."

Kurt fought the urge to groan. This was infuriating. He didn't like to be questioned like this. He closed his eyes briefly and began to speak, choosing his words with care. "I've always thought I was sort of… stuck here. Like I should have more in my life than what I do. I mean, I'm grateful for what I've been given but it's not… not for me. I feel like I was supposed to be born a human. I know that I'm supposed to be more than what I am right now. And if I were human, I could be more."

The sly smile was back again, showing brilliantly white teeth. "Still not good enough."

This time, Kurt thought hard before answering again. "I've never had to trust anyone. All of my decisions have been made for me and I've been told to fear humans, but I've never understood why. I met a human and he's making me question all that I've learned. I've never been in love either. And I don't know what that's supposed to feel like exactly, but when I talk to him, I know I feel more than I've ever felt with anyone else. I want to be a human to get to know him and his way of life."

Kurt almost felt the need to punch her when she said, "Close. But not quite."

He chewed his bottom lip. What could she be looking for? This was insane. He didn't feel like playing games, but he supposed he'd come this far and leaving now would never get him anywhere.

"The merpeople have always been told to fear the humans without ever questioning why. They believe the stories and there's enough evidence to know that it's true and even I know it's true and that they should be feared. But claiming an entire race of people to be one thing? It's like saying all merpeople act the same, and that's not true at all. I know the humans aren't all bad and being with Blaine made me want that even more. I have to show everyone that humans aren't terrible. If we could somehow come together, then humans and merpeople could help each other and give one another a better way of living if they only gave them a chance."

A smile curled Mercedes's lips, but it was softer. "That's more like it."

She turned and opened a trunk on the floor of a far wall and began rummaging through it.

"Wait, so… that was it? You wanted me to… to… to not do this for myself, but because I wanted to help others?"

"That's right, baby. I told you, you have to show me that you deserve whatever it is you want. And you do that by not wanting it solely for yourself." She gathered up bottles filled with liquids of different colors and textures and carried them over to a table, where she began pouring them into a small bowl. "I can only give you a couple weeks at the most. And there are some conditions."

"I only need a week."

She raised her eyebrows. "Well then that makes things easier." She selected two different bottles and put them aside.

"What about the conditions?"

Mercedes poured in a carefully measured drop of a golden liquid that steamed and smoked when it made contact with the teal-colored mixture. "Nothing too dire. On midnight of the final day, you have to be back in the ocean, or else permanently changed into a human, and you'll be shimmied right back into the way you are now. You're not limited to anything while on land except for saltwater. In your human state, if you so much as touch saltwater, bing, bang, boom. Instant merman. But you should be fine as long as you're careful. Sand is fine, so is anything that's come into contact with saltwater, but just don't touch the water itself directly. Dipping your toes in the water is a big no-no. Other than that, you're good, baby." She tilted the bowl and filled a vial with the turquoise liquid that shimmered with strands of gold and held it out between them. "There is, however, the matter of payment. I don't just give things out for free, you know."

"Of course. What do you want?" Gold, jewels, he could get from the palace easily.

"Your brother, Finn is it? I heard he's married now isn't he?" At Kurt's nod, she continued and the sentence hung in the air like clanging chains. "I want their first born child."

Kurt felt his face drain of all blood, felt his chest constrict and his hands clench. "W-what?"

She continued to stare at him. And then broke out into a smile. "I'm just kidding, baby. You're real cute when you're terrified."

"Oh." He laughed nervously and the relief flooded through him. "What is it you really want? I can get gold, silver-"

Mercedes held up her hand to stop him. "I've got all I need right here. Consider this a gift. Just don't waste it. And I like my privacy here so one word that I'm giving out freebees and I'll be bombarded. It's bad enough that you found out about my little home here. Take this in the nicest way possible, but when you leave, I'd like for you to never come back."

"Sounds easy enough." Not that he wanted to come back anyway.

"Then it appears we've reached an understanding. Drink that entire thing at night. When you wake in the morning, you'll have your legs. The seven days starts then. Remember to be back in the water by midnight on the seventh day. Make sure you drink it close to shore though. I don't take shortcuts and that stuff is powerful. Sound good?"

"Sounds good," Kurt repeated, clutching the small bottle in his hand.

"Then be on your way, Prince Kurt. I hope you find what you are looking for."

Kurt thanked her again as it seemed the polite thing to do and turned tail, swimming as fast as he could out of there, through the darkness and out into the open ocean. The bottle in his hand might as well have been the most valuable thing in the world for how tightly he was holding it. If he dropped it, he could give up ever trying to be a part of Blaine's world.

He was glad to see that night had fallen quickly. He tried to take his time, but he was so anxious, he ended up swimming faster than he'd counted on and he soon reached the shores of Jeulian.

He was glad too, to see that Blaine was sitting in the same place as last night and looking out expectantly into the sea. Blaine wouldn't have come back unless he wanted to. But as much as Kurt wanted to go to him and tell him just what he was planning, he stayed where he was because somehow he knew that Blaine would try and talk him out of it and he'd made up his mind.

The sky grew darker and Blaine sat and waited, unknowing that Kurt wasn't going to be there tonight. Kurt wished he could warn him from where he hid far out at sea, but as it became darker and colder, when seemingly hours had past, Blaine got up and scanned the ocean slowly, disappointment and sadness on his face. Kurt watched him leave, an ache lodging in his chest because he was the reason that Blaine had had that look of disappointment in his beautiful eyes. But this would be worth it.

He counted slowly to one-hundred after he'd lost sight of Blaine in the dark and clutched the bottle tighter in his hand. Holding it up, he drifted closer to the shore until his forearms rested on the rock that Blaine had vacated. He took a deep breath, and swirled the mixture around, watching the changing colors, before he lifted the bottle to his lips and poured the liquid out, swallowing quickly.

The effect was instantaneous. His breath came shallower and his hands tingled. The tingling, prickly sensation traveled up his arms, down his torso, along his tail. He saw white spots flash in front of his eyes and his world became nothing more than the swirling water in a storm. He felt his strength fading fast and with the last of his power, he hauled himself up and pulled himself out onto the rock as far as he could. He knew Blaine would be there in the morning and he hoped that the transformation would be complete by then. If he still had a tail in the morning and someone else saw him, he would be picked up and hauled off to who knows where. But he was too tired to think of that now. His breath came in even sighs and his muscles went completely slack and the darkness invaded his vision.

And then he felt nothing.


	8. Chapter 8

It was well before sunrise, but Blaine didn't mind. He was used to getting up early. But the lulling sense of tiredness that he felt deep within his muscles was not a welcome feeling. He hadn't slept well last night and he knew the exact reason why.

Kurt hadn't shown up. He'd said he would, and yet, there had been no sign of his bright blue tail on the water. Blaine knew he shouldn't let it bother him. If Kurt didn't want to see him anymore, there was nothing he could do about it. Though a part of his mind was worried. What if Kurt had gotten hurt or something else had stopped him from coming to their usual meeting place? He'd been terrified that Kurt had been captured when the fishermen who caught food to sell at the market and stopped by the castle to sell their best catches returned from their daily rounds on the water. They were even earlier than expected, as it wasn't even dawn, but Blaine had overheard them grumbling loudly about some shark or something lurking around that was scaring off all the merpeople, though they'd go further out if they needed to. Or just take care of the problem and kill the shark that was making their hunt difficult, if they could ever find it. Blaine had hidden behind the wall that lead to the stairs until they'd passed on without noticing him. Then he'd casually strolled out and once he could no longer hear their voices, he ran.

Blaine had only been here a few days and there had been no new captures that he'd been aware of. He'd hoped that meant that the merpeople were staying safe. But if the fisherman here were cracking down and trying harder, it meant that others would too. And that meant that Kurt was not safe.

He could only hope that he'd be able to see Kurt this morning. Sometimes Blaine would see a flash of blue mixed in with the grey fog of early morning on the horizon. There were usually other people out and Blaine expected that Kurt just watched from afar, too afraid to come nearer. The sun wasn't up yet, wouldn't be for a while. He wished with everything he had that because the sky was still dark and the waters still black, Kurt might be there and Blaine might be able to warn him, to have him warn all of his kind that they needed to be on even higher alert or go somewhere else. If that would keep him safe, if Kurt would be safe, Blaine would tell them to go as far away as possible and never come back.

His eyes had adjusted now and he was thankful to no longer have to stumble blindly along the castle's grounds. He pushed against the soft ground with his legs as hard as he could. The air smelled like rain. But it couldn't rain. It couldn't because then Kurt might not come back until the rain stopped and who knows how long it could last. If the heavy grey clouds against the black sky were any indication, the rain was on its way quickly and it didn't look as though they would be leaving anytime soon. He pulled his large jacket closer around him, begging the rain to wait and he wouldn't need it, but the wind cut through the sleeve openings near his hands and he shivered.

Blaine's feet skidded across the tiny pebbles tracked in from the beach on the concrete stairs and he had to slide his hand along the brick wall beside him to keep his footing. Keeping his eyes downcast, he focused on the shadowed stairs below him until he got to the bottom and then lifted his eyes as he prepared to run to the tide pools. The water was just as dark and ugly as he'd expected with this sudden change in the weather. He took a moment to catch his breath and then swung his gaze out to his destination.

He had been preparing to run there in his adrenaline-induced speed, and… what? Wait there until Kurt showed up? Wait until he never showed up? But now he stood frozen, his hand still pressed up against the wind-blown brick. He narrowed his eyes. There was something there.

He couldn't see what it was from this far away, but whatever it was, it greatly contrasted in color with the darkness around it. He took a few cautious steps forward and jogged closer. He was no longer cold; he didn't feel it anymore with every vein in his body pulsing to know what had washed up along the beach.

He'd kept unconsciously moving forward, his eyes wide in trying to see what it could be. And in the haze of the morning that had just started to float up along the ground, he could make out the curving lines of a body. A body on the beach. Blaine felt his heart jump in his throat and his stomach flipped sickeningly. Was it a sailor who'd drowned? Someone out for a swim who'd gone too far and hadn't been able to get back? He pressed his hand to his mouth, but though he'd taken a step back, he now forced himself forward and stumbled into a run. The wind was blowing harder, whipping his hair around his face and making his jacket fly out behind him. What if the person was alive and hurt, needing help? He was the only one on the beach, and would be for a long time before the sleepy inhabitants began to stir.

Eyes locked on the figure, he saw the pale skin gleaming even in the absence of natural light. He didn't know what he would do if this poor person was dead. He didn't think he could handle it. And when he dropped to his knees and let his eyes take in the scene before he could do anything else, for a terrifying moment, he thought this person was dead. It was a man. A very naked man. A man with eerily familiar pale skin and gently curving lines of his body. The sandy hair laid limp against the rock that dug painfully into Blaine's knees. His whole body was shaking, and it was definitely not from the cold air around him, as he reached out a hand and placed it on the man's shoulder. Goosebumps rose on the cold flesh all over from the wind, and Blaine could practically feel the warmth of his hand being sucked into the skin in a need to be warm. The man did not move and Blaine's heart stuttered.

As gently as he could, he pulled his hand towards himself and brought the man's shoulder with him, turning him onto his back.

And the edges of his world disappeared into a fuzzy haze and his blood automatically stopped flowing through his veins at the sight. He was aware of the way his mouth was hanging open and the disbelief in his wide eyes. His hand tightened on the man's shoulder.

Because it was Kurt. It was him. Blaine had no doubt that it was Kurt who lay before him, but it couldn't be. His mind was racing in opposing truths. He knew that this was Kurt, the merman. And yet, Kurt had legs, as a human. His chest rose and fell heavily and when he saw the clear drops on Kurt's flawless chest, it was only then did he realize that the rain had come at last.

He licked his lips, trying to get his brain to process this. Kurt was laying here, eyes beautifully closed and after a moment's pause, he'd seen that his chest was indeed moving with breaths of life. But what was he doing here?

Blaine felt the word fall from his lips like a sigh, much too quiet to hear over the wind and so soft, he would have thought he'd only said it in his mind. "Kurt." But the word was indeed spoken aloud, and it seemed like it held some kind of unknown power, breathing life into the one who heard it. Kurt's chest rose heavily and he breathed out a gentle huff of air as his eyes opened slowly.

Those eyes. Those electric blue eyes that exactly matched the color of his tail that was no longer a part of him for some reason. Blaine's breath caught in his throat as he stared directly into those eyes.

Kurt swallowed and flexed his hand. He felt like he'd just gotten tossed around in a rip tide current. His eyes slid closed and he groaned before blinking and realizing exactly whose eyes he was staring back into.

"Are you okay?" Blaine whispered.

Kurt became aware of Blaine's hand on his shoulder and he could feel his comfortable warmth radiating from his skin. He slowly sat up, moving his muscles gently. Blaine stayed silent beside him, his hand sliding down to Kurt's elbow and hesitating for a second before he laid his palms flat on the rough sand-speckled rock under them as he sat back on his knees.

Toes. He had toes. Kurt engaged the muscles in his feet (feet!) and watched in fascination as his toes responded and wiggled, then his ankles rolled back and forth, followed by his knees bobbing up and down. He ran his hands along this new skin and bent his knee to hold his foot in his hand, pulling each toe back and forth with wide eyes. A smile stretched across his face and at last, he tore his gaze away from Mercedes's gift and looked at the man who'd said nothing for the past minute.

Blaine's face held a mixture of confusion, elation, relief, and apprehension. "Kurt?" he whispered.

"Yeah?" Kurt couldn't keep the smile off of his face, despite whatever Blaine was thinking at the moment. He was human! He had legs!

"Kurt, what…" Blaine breathed out a sigh and his eyebrows pulled down. He was quiet for a while. The wind blew harder, the rain completely pouring down now. At least the fishermen wouldn't be able to go out until it cleared. He swallowed all of the questions that danced on his tongue and instead stood up on slightly weak legs as he watched Kurt begin to shiver in the rain. "Come on, let's get out of this."

He held out a hand, which Kurt took and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Kurt planted his feet and rocked back and forth slightly, feeling the way his body swayed and not at all caring that he was completely exposed to the world and the pounding rain that drenched his skin. Blaine slipped out of his well-used and worn, knee-length coat and draped it around Kurt's shoulders, where it reached a few inches higher than it had on Blaine's body, but it was better than having nothing.

Kurt told his legs to move forward, one at a time lifting up and setting his foot down in front of him. But the moment he did, he felt his knees bend and buckle and he sunk, saved from hitting the ground by Blaine's arms wrapping around his waist.

"You okay?" Blaine said in his ear and Kurt turned his head to look at him and was surprised to see concern in his eyes.

"I… I don't know." Kurt mumbled, frowning and looking down at his feet. Mercedes had given him a pair of legs that didn't even work."What's wrong with me?"

If Kurt had seen the way that Blaine looked at him right then, he would have seen sadness at Kurt's broken tone and at the way he was panicking. Blaine wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist and pulled him close, helping him take a careful step.

"My… my legs are shaking." Kurt whispered, frowning down at the newest additions to his body. "Are they supposed to feel like this? How do you not fall over all the time?"

Blaine allowed a smile to creep up on his face and ignored the question. He'd find out what the hell was going on soon, but for now, they both needed to get out of this rain. Blaine found his hair plastered to his face and the rain was dripping into his mouth when he smiled. "You're probably just weak. You've been out here a long time." He gripped Kurt's waist tighter as he stumbled again. Brows creasing in thought, Blaine, eyed Kurt from the side and asked, "You're not opposed to getting close are you?"

"H-how close?" Kurt's teeth were starting to chatter in his mouth. No wonder there were never any humans outside when it rained. Kurt would almost rather be in the ocean right now; at least it was nice and warm there. Water that fell from the sky was freezing.

Kurt looked over at Blaine and barely had time to meet his eyes before he felt a pressure behind his knees and his legs buckled again, but instead of meeting the ground, he found himself being swung up into Blaine's arms, their noses inches apart.

"This close." Blaine smiled and laughed a bit, then held him tightly and began to walk as fast as he could across the beach, back up the stairs, and over the castle grounds.

Kurt wished it wasn't raining because then he could take in all the sights that whirled around him. He wanted to see everything. But he was still so tired and Blaine was warm and against his want to see what the humans saw, he let his head rest against Blaine's chest and closed his eyes until Blaine stopped moving and the rain ceased to assault them anymore. His eyes opened and he blinked, hearing the rain pounding on the ground and when he looked over Blaine's shoulder, he saw the rain right behind him. What had stopped it? Did Blaine have magical powers too? Did all humans have powers and keep them hidden?

His eyes wandered upwards and then he saw that there was a section of human-carved stone jutting out from (his eyes traveled down again) a building. He was face-to-face with a wooden door. Glancing back at Blaine, who just shrugged and gently put him down, he watched as Blaine extracted a small key from his pocket and unlocked the door.

Blaine held it open and looked to him as if to say "after you." He held out a hand that Kurt took and gingerly took a step and when he did not wobble much, he risked picking up his other foot. He began to smile as he walked into Blaine's house. Blaine has a very big house, doesn't he?

The door shut behind them with a soft click, drowning out the noise of the rain and plunging them in silence. Kurt turned and saw Blaine move to the crackling fireplace, peel off his shoes and set them close to the heat to dry. He did the same thing with his shirt, laying it out on a bar a few feet away from the fire. Kurt tried not to stare at the way the firelight illuminated Blaine's body and casting shadows on those parts turned away from the light.

"You live here?" Kurt asked, astounded and forgetting for a moment that Blaine did not live on this land.

Blaine laughed and went over to a tall box-looking thing, opened it, and pulled out an armful of clothes. "No. I'm only here for the week. But if for some reason, they asked me to move here, I don't think I would. It's nice, really nice actually, but I just don't feel at home here."

Kurt tilted his head as Blaine came closer and held out half of the clothes. "Where do you feel at home?" He held the clothes tight to his chest and now had a reason to stare at Blaine as he pulled a white shirt similar to the one he'd been wearing when Kurt had first seen him. Kurt knew he would never forget what he was wearing when he'd first laid eyes on him.

"Well, I guess if you're talking about an actual home, Hali is where I've always lived. It's really the only place I know. But I really love the sea. Just the smell of salt on the air makes me wish I was on a ship, headed anywhere, as long as I was on the water." Blaine shrugged and then lifted an eyebrow. "You can put those on you know."

"O-oh." Kurt felt his cheeks get red and he set the cloth down on the bed, seeing a white shirt and black pants, like the ones Blaine was wearing. He slid Blaine's coat off and walked over to the fire, laying it close like Blaine had done. And oh, the fire felt so nice on his skin. He stopped shivering and just stood there, letting a warmth like the sun shine all around him.

Blaine had meant to avert his eyes. He hadn't meant for Kurt to take off the jacket and change right there. But now Kurt was standing naked by the fireplace and the way the light made his skin glow, it was impossible to look away. He swallowed and picked up the shirt, handing it out to him. Kurt turned his head and felt the material between his long fingers and pulled the shirt over his head. Then Blaine held out the pants. Kurt's eyes traveled down Blaine's body as he surveyed Blaine's clothes and Blaine felt himself blush. He cleared his throat and stepped away.

Kurt supposed one leg went in first and then the other. But it wasn't easy to figure out how. He shoved in his right leg, effectively stepping on the long legs of the pants and when he tried to pick up his other foot, he lost his balance, hopping all over and almost ending up on the floor. Glaring at the pants, he pursed his lips and sat on the bed, bending his knees and putting his feet through the holes at the same time, then standing and tugging them up. When he looked up, Blaine was halfway turned around, one eye watching him gleefully. And he was laughing.

So Kurt glared at him too.

"Sorry," Blaine said, holding out his hands as he came closer. Kurt crossed his arms over his chest. "It was funny."

Kurt's eyes narrowed.

"Okay, a little funny."

His scowl deepened.

"Alright, alright." Blaine said with a smile. "It wasn't funny at all and I apologize."

Kurt uncrossed his arms. "Good."

He realized then how tired he was. His mind was foggy and his eyelids were heavy and Blaine seemed to sense that because he came up and threaded his arm around Kurt's waist, turning him towards the bed. "Get some sleep and I'm sure things will be better when you wake up." With his free hand, Blaine pulled down the covers and when Kurt was laying down, draped the fluffy material over him.

Kurt had a moment where his heart raced. "You won't leave will you?"

"Of course not, if you don't want me to."

Kurt nodded and laid back. He didn't want to be alone. Not now, not when all of this was so new and he still kind of didn't believe that he'd gone through with it.

"But Kurt? I need you to promise me something."

He eyed him wearily. "Yes?"

"You're going to tell me everything that happened when you wake up. Why you're here now, what you were doing on the beach, everything."

Kurt nodded again. It was fair enough, he supposed. He wasn't even sure where he would begin, but his head sunk into the soft pillow and the mattress around him cradled his limbs and he was asleep before he could even begin to think of how he was going to explain this.


	9. Chapter 9

The fire had long died out, leaving smoldering orange coals amidst the black soot, when Kurt awoke. He blinked and pulled his arms in closer, trailing the blanket along with him. Then his eyes shot open.

Holy carp.

He was in Blaine's bed. As a human. With legs! He lifted the blanket and peeked under. Yep, he still had legs. Poking his head up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he saw Blaine sitting on a chair with a book held open in his hands and a few candles glowing on the desk beside him. He looked up when he heard movement.

"Oh, you're awake."

Kurt gave a weak smile and sat up, eyeing the now closed book in Blaine's hand.

"I find reading by candlelight to be very relaxing," Blaine said as he set said book aside and moved closer to Kurt. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. I feel a lot better."

"Good." He paused and sighed deeply. "Would you like to tell me what happened, Kurt?"

This events of the morning came slamming back into his head. He'd hoped that he could have time to think of a story before he was questioned. It was going to sound crazy. He didn't want Blaine to think he was crazy.

And yet, he nodded and Blaine sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at Kurt with expectant eyes. Kurt was silent, unsure where to start, but Blaine took care of the problem by asking, "Who are you?"

Simple enough. Kurt felt a grin creep up on his face. "Kurt Hummel."

"I know that," Blaine's voice was gentle. "I guess I should have asked 'what are you'?"

Kurt winced. And Blaine saw it because he quickly said, "No, that was rude. I didn't mean—"

"It's okay. I know what you meant." Kurt brushed over the words. "It's a fair question. My name is Kurt Hummel and I'm the only son linked by blood to King Burt and heir to the throne in the Kingdom of Tras. I am a merman and I've been a merman my entire life."

"Except for this morning."

"Except for this morning." Kurt repeated gently.

"You're a merman and a prince. Wow… okay." Blaine said slowly, trying to wrap his mind around the words. "And what changed? I mean, to make you…" he gestured his hands at Kurt's body.

"I've always been fascinated by humans, everything about them. I wanted to be a human so badly, to see what it was like and be a part of something more. And then I met you. And I just wanted to get to know you and… and it was stupid but I went to Mercedes, a mermaid who has the power to change forms of one being for another. She gave me a potion and I took it and dragged myself up on the land and when I woke, I had legs."

"So that's why you didn't show up last night," Blaine murmured, more to himself than anything, but Kurt nodded.

"I made up my mind and I didn't want anyone to change that."

"You thought I would?"

"Wouldn't you?"

"Well, yeah. I guess so. It just seems so… ridiculous. I didn't even know that could happen."

"Neither did I." Kurt allowed a small smile.

"So… so how long are you… in human form?" The word was on Blaine's tongue. Forever? He didn't dare think of the reason why that word popped into his head so quickly.

"A week. Starting at midnight this morning. And I can't touch salt water or I'll turn right back into a merman. Sand or anything that's come into contact with salt water is fine, but I just can't touch it directly. "

"Oh." A week? Only a week? "That's when I go back to Hali. And I'll make sure you don't touch any salt water. "

"Thanks." Kurt grinned. "So you're a sailor?"

"Captain." There was a hint of pride in Blaine's voice. "But only for the time being. I was supposed to deliver the cargo to King Theon, have a few days of rest here, then go back to Hali, where I'll be a sailor again."

"I think you make a very good captain."

Blaine started to smile and then his brows creased. "How would you know?"

"I watched you the first day you came in on the dock. Everyone listens to you. You're quiet good at yelling."

Blaine blushed, his laugh filling the air. "Do you always talk like that?"

"Telling the truth?" Kurt seemed confused. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well that's another way humans and merpeople differ apparently." Blaine softened his gaze and looked into Kurt's big eyes. "I'm not trying to scare you, but there are many humans who lie and lie often. And it can be hard to tell who is telling the truth."

"But y-you wouldn't lie to me, would you?"

"No. No, I wouldn't lie to you. I promise you that. But just know you can't always trust what you hear."

"Should I be worried?"

"Not if you stick with me. It's only midday and I was going to go to the market. If you're only here for the next week, I think you should see what it's like on a weekday for most people, if you'd like to come that is."

"Stick with me?"

"Of course."

"Then yes." Kurt smiled and threw off the blankets, not realizing that in his haste, he'd thrown them over Blaine.

He pulled the blankets off his head and snorted. "Thank you very much."

"You're welcome!" Kurt replied brightly and jumped up, glad to feel that his legs were much more stable already as compared with earlier. Maybe he could get the hang of this.

Blaine stood and pointed to a door that Kurt hadn't seen before. "The bathroom is in there if you need it and then we can—"

"Who cares about that?" Kurt whirled and grabbed Blaine's hand, tugging him towards the door. "Let's go!"

"Wait. You need shoes!"

Kurt paused and began to shuffle around impatiently. Really now, the things that humans had to do before they went somewhere. Kurt slipped his feet into a very confining pair of shoes that Blaine set on the floor in front of him and tugged on the jacket Blaine handed him.

"If they don't fit, we can get new ones today."

"They're perfect. Now, let's go!"

*********

Watching Kurt really was like watching a toddler see the world for the first time, which in a sense, he was. Blaine smiled and shook his head as he dragged Kurt away from another stall that sold fruits. He'd held up a lemon and grimaced at Blaine.

"Do you really eat these?"

"Hey, are you going to pay for that or what?" The vendor scowled down at him and Blaine gripped his arm as he pulled him away after Kurt had replaced the fruit.

"Are all people here grouchy- oh! Look at that!"

And Kurt had taken off at a run, skidding to a stop by the flowing array of fabrics that shined in the sunlight. When Blaine caught up with him, he smiled and nodded in greeting at a pair of ladies who were examining the fabric close to where Kurt was. He couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"It was the weirdest thing!"

"When my George came back, he said it had been pouring the whole morning and I looked outside and there was nothing. It was clear as a bell and now look at the sky!"

"I tell you, we're in for it. Inconsistent weather means a storm is coming. And a big one, at that."

Blaine couldn't help but wince a bit. The weather going haywire and then Kurt showing up on the beach? It had to be connected but he had a feeling that Kurt knew as much about that fact as he did.

"Oh, Blaine, look." Kurt sighed and Blaine raised his eyes to see Kurt holding out a long piece of fabric that shimmered in the light, the color of emeralds. In a moment, Kurt had moved forward and looped the thing around Blaine's neck. "You look beautiful in that color."

Again, Blaine felt himself blush. And then the fabric was whisked off of him and hung back up before Kurt ran off to investigate an enticing aroma coming from one of the many stalls of food set up between the shops. They got a bowl of sweetly sticky rice to share and sat on the edge of the concrete walk where the market had been set up. Blaine tried to teach Kurt how to use a fork, but he'd gotten only a few pieces of rice in his mouth before giving up and Blaine handed him the bowl, telling him to use his fingers.

Kurt grinned. That was something he could do.

"We only ever eat with our hands," he told Blaine when he'd paused. "I've never had this before but it's delicious!"

"I thought you'd like it." Blaine smiled.

"And you have the strangest pets." Kurt's eyes followed a dog that was sniffing around the food cart. He'd seen the animals from afar, but up close, they were kind of scary all covered in fluff with sharp teeth.

Blaine laughed. "I suppose it would look different from the other side of the castle. I mean, do you keep fish as pets? Because we do that."

The chatter and the bustle around them drowned out their conversation and no one was paying attention so they felt safe talking in public, though they still kept their voices low.

"Fish? No. I had a crab once. But I felt bad about him being all cooped up so I let him go." Kurt's voice quieted even further. "My people are half-fish, I guess you could say. Keeping a fish as a pet feels like locking up a bit of yourself."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Blaine ran a hand through his poofy hair. They'd left in a hurry and he hadn't been able to do anything to his hair. The sticky goo he used to hold it down was on his nightstand. He sighed.

Kurt's eyes looked out and surveyed the quickly moving crowds. "Everything here is so beautiful and so new and so… amazing. But I just can't help but look at them and wonder if they've tried to catch a mermaid or if they have one now."

"It must be hard. Not everyone advocated merpeople as prizes though. I know it may seem like it, but there are those who think it's wrong, who think it's murder and it's awful." Blaine put his hand on top of Kurt's. Kurt gently lifted his eyes to meet Blaine's. "There are entire villages who think that way. Hali is one of them. And I promise you, one day, it will change and merpeople will never have to be afraid ever again. But for now, it's getting complicated."

"How so?"

Blaine bit his lip and took a breath. He didn't want to upset him. "Well, with the rain last night, I overheard fishermen saying that they were going to try harder to catch the merpeople, as they're worth more now that there hasn't been a lot of catches. When it rains, they can't even go out to try and capture them, but with it sunny like this now… there'll be more people on the water than ever before. I know you said merpeople have always been careful, but now they have even more reason to be. It's not safe anymore."

Kurt was quiet for a long while. The bowl of uneaten rice was being hesitantly devoured by the skinny dog, but Kurt nor Blaine took notice or cared.

"They'll be safe. I know they will. They're not foolish and they know what it takes to survive. This has happened before. It's not like they don't know how to handle it." But there was an edge of uncertainty to his voice.

Blaine pursed his lips together and tightened his hand on Kurt's. He didn't know what to say. Kurt took a deep breath and looked out at the crowds before standing and pulling Blaine up with him.

"Let's go see the rest of the market, okay?"

***********

The sun was low in the sky after they'd taken time to stop by every booth and just look and buy a few things. Blaine bought some more candles and another book and he bought Kurt a hat that he couldn't stop going back to look at.

"I think it suits you." Blaine said of the feathered purple hat sitting on Kurt's head.

"You think?"

"Very dashing."

Kurt smiled and they continued on.

The crowds were winding down, the booths in less of a fight for space along the street when they came to the end. There wasn't much left to see. But Blaine should have known. He should have realized that though the fishermen this morning were upset about the profit-less day, there would have been others who'd made a catch somehow.

Blaine was arguing the price of bread from a vendor and hadn't noticed that Kurt turned and walked a few booths down. When he turned and Kurt was no longer there, he scanned the area and immediately picked out Kurt' hat. He grinned, thanked the man, and tucked the wrapped bread under his arm as he made his way over.

"Hey Kurt. I got some great bread for later. I thought it would—"

Kurt was standing absolutely still, showing no sign that he knew Blaine was there. Blaine's heart started up in his chest.

"Kurt?"

His eyes were welling up with unshed tears that made his blue eyes sparkle like Blaine had never seen before. And still, he did not move. His mouth was halfway open, but no sound escaped his lips. Blaine followed the line of Kurt's unblinking eyes and his heart dropped in his chest. He gasped.

There was a booth, surrounded by a sweets vendor on the left and a woodcarver on the right. The booth was shabbily constructed of dull brown wood with a hand-painted sign on the front that spoke of what they sold. But Blaine didn't need to read the sign. And neither did Kurt.

Blaine had a momentary flashback of the time he'd first seen a mermaid. It was at this same market and the mermaid was strung up the same way, held hanging in the air by a thick rope tied around her neck, waist, and wrists, her tail laid out on the harsh wood for all to see. Not much was different. This mermaid had pale yellow hair that hung in loose, limp strands around her face. Her tail was oddly void of shimmer and sparkle, the ghostly pink scales dry and withered. The ends of her tail were laid out flat, long enough to drape across the sign crudely tacked to the wooden booth. Her skin was even paler than Kurt's, holding a tinge of grey and blue that came with the forever sleep of death.

It took only a second to take all of that in and Blaine had wrapped his arms around Kurt, turning him away. He stumbled and began to shake all over, the tears falling quickly and the sobs ripping from his throat. Blaine had to get him away from there. As gently as he could, but slightly rough to keep him moving, he forced Kurt to drag his feet alongside him as he pulled him into an abandoned alleyway. Covered in shadows, Kurt sunk to the ground and Blaine held him tightly against his chest. Kurt's cries echoed softly, mostly muffled by Blaine's jacket. Suddenly, Kurt pushed him away and threw a hand flat against the cold brick ground, pressing the other to his stomach and feeling his back tense and roll forward. He wanted to throw up. What few bits of rice he'd eaten didn't seem to want to make an appearance, but the sour taste of nausea welled in his mouth and he spit in disgust. His warm tears poured down his cheeks and dripped onto the ground. He felt Blaine's hand rubbing gently on his back and knew that though he'd kept his gaze on the ground, Blaine would be looking at him concernedly and that made him feel less like he wanted to curl up and die.

Kurt took many hiccupping breaths before he sat back against the wall, pulling his knees up to his chest. He was right about Blaine's gaze. He was staring right into his eyes with so much pain that Kurt almost thought that he had known the mermaid too.

"Brittany." He choked out, feeling a fresh wave of tears leak from his eyes.

Blaine stayed quiet, waiting for an explanation if Kurt wanted to give one, but also allowing him the opportunity not to do so. Kurt pressed his hand to his mouth and closed his eyes, taking more breaths. Blaine's hand was on his knee and his other hand was on his shoulder, rubbing gently.

"She… she was my friend. She was never the smartest mermaid, but… but I never thought she'd…" he broke off and took another breath. "She probably saw one of the boats and if it was at night, they would have had a light. She probably just wanted to see what it was." He whispered. "I just can't believe Santana would let her…" his eyes went wide and he gasped. "Oh, Santana." And the tears fell again and he wept for them, for her. Because Santana and Brittany would never be together again. He really hoped that Finn or someone had been there when Brittany didn't come back because he didn't want to think about what Santana would do. Kurt had a terrible, haunting feeling that they might end up being together again in death. They'd been best friends for a very long time and Kurt thought that there might have been something else going on but they'd never publicly announced anything. Santana was reckless and he knew that if this news didn't kill her, she might try and get revenge. And that certainly would get her killed.

Blaine's arms wrapped around Kurt tightly and he held him without saying a word, just making gently soothing noises and holding him for a very, very long time until Kurt could breathe again without sobbing.

Blaine pulled back and looked into Kurt's dazzlingly blue eyes, the color intensified by the redness created by his tears. "I'm sorry, Kurt. I'm so, so sorry. I should have known that… I didn't think…"

Kurt was surprised to see tears on Blaine's cheeks too.

Blaine swallowed and let out a breath. "You didn't need to see that, Kurt and I'm so sorry it was someone you knew. I can take you back now and we can eat and go to bed, okay? Or you can take a bath and just be by yourself and I can bring you tea or whatever you need."

Kurt sniffed, wiping his many tears and nodding. Blaine pulled him up and wrapped his arm around his waist and together, they made the journey back home. Kurt kept his gaze on the rocks below their feet and let Blaine guide him.

**********

Blaine sat at his desk, the new candles glowing and the new book open in his hands but he wasn't reading. He couldn't take in a single word. Kurt had been practically unresponsive when they'd arrived back here. He knew it was a lot to take in and he knew that Kurt had to be hurting so much, and he hurt badly for him. He didn't want to know what it was like to see your friend displayed so casually in death for others to buy like a freaking souvenir. He almost felt as though he had known her. Kurt's pain sliced through him just as deeply.

He'd let Kurt undress and lower himself in the tub after he'd instructed Becky to fill the tub with hot water. He'd assured Kurt that it was not salt water and asked Becky to bring them some tea. A cup sat on the desk next to him that he hadn't drunk. It was probably cold now.

Kurt had been in the bath for a long time and when he finally emerged, dressed in night clothes provided by Becky, Blaine saw that his eyes were still red and puffy. He'd led him to the bed and Kurt climbed in without complaint, falling asleep almost immediately. After that, Blaine had dismissed Becky and bid her a good night. Blaine would be sleeping on the floor tonight, but that was of no matter to him.

He didn't know how long he'd been up but the wax was steadily dripping down the candle and drying in dribbled strands. He sighed and blew out the light, placing his unread book down. When he looked over at Kurt on the bed, he saw his face relaxed in sleep, though the longer he watched, the more he realized that his eyebrows were pulling down every now and then and a crease appeared on his forehead as he began to lightly murmur words that Blaine did not understand.

He sighed and wrapped his arms around himself. He felt so bad for Kurt. Oh, your first day as a human? Let's show you how cruel we really are.

Blaine almost screamed when the fear flew into his chest at the sound of Kurt jolting awake and gasping. He swallowed his terror and moved over to the bed, where Kurt was sweating and breathing heavily.

"Kurt?" He asked quickly, eyes searching those that were slightly unfocused in front of him. Kurt blinked and looked around and when he found Blaine in his gaze, he let out a sigh of pained relief and pulled Blaine close. Blaine held him, sitting on the edge of the bed. "It's okay," he whispered in Kurt's ear. "You're okay. I've got you. Nothing's going to hurt you."

Kurt gripped his fingers into Blaine's clothes. "Don't leave me. Don't leave. I can't go to sleep again. Don't leave."

Blaine was quiet, turning his face to press his mouth against Kurt's neck and his cheek against Kurt's shoulder. "I won't," he said softly, his lips breathing the word on Kurt's skin. "I promise I won't."

He unwound his hands from Kurt's body and put an arm under his knees and another around Kurt's back and gently scooted him over, leaving room for Blaine to crawl up next to him. Kurt turned into Blaine's chest and held him tightly, closing his eyes and breathing in the familiar, comforting scent. Blaine pulled Kurt into him and rested his head on top of Kurt's hair, his hand moving slowly across Kurt's shoulder.

"I promise I won't leave you."


	10. Chapter 10

Over the next few days, Kurt and Blaine learn about each other's worlds. Blaine takes him to the bakery, the candy shop, and other places that bustle with life and are so new to him. It's a bit harder for Kurt to explain his world because Blaine can't see it, but they go to the tide pools together and sit and talk for hours, with Kurt telling stories that he could only dream of. The tide pools become their place of safety, their place to be together without fear that others will overhear.

"… and he was caught in the sea weed for an hour until I heard him calling for help! I wish you could have seen the look on his face. He looked like a scared little seahorse all tangled up."

Blaine smiled, picturing what Kurt's stepbrother could look like based on the details he'd been given. "He sounds wonderful."

"He has a big heart, but he doesn't really think things through. It's gotten better as he's gotten older, but there's still a part of him that acts like a little kid sometimes. I don't think it'll ever leave him."

"Who says that's a bad thing?" Blaine countered, turning towards Kurt as the moonlight shone down on them. "It probably gets boring to be all proper all the time."

Kurt tilted his head and his eyes grew wide. "Are you—"

"Blaine Anderson, Expert Troublemaker, at your service." He held out a hand with his biggest smile.

A grin appeared on Kurt's lips, along with a blush, and he hesitantly took the hand. "What kind of trouble do you make?"

"Oh, the usual. Theft, loitering, not returning a book I borrowed."

Kurt blushed again and realized that their hands were still clasped in an embrace. He drew his hand away quickly, trying to ignore the cold that came over his hand as it left Blaine's. He linked his own fingers together and looked over at Blaine, who still had the remnants of a soft grin on his lips. "So, do you have a brother or sister?"

A veil seemed to cloud over Blaine's face. His eyes darkened and his smile fell. He looked down. "No sister. I had a brother though."

Kurt could see the change in Blaine's demeanor and hear the way his voice grew hard. "H-had?" he asked cautiously.

"He was older than me by five years. He was killed when I was ten."

Kurt's big eyes seemed to grow larger in sadness. His pale hand reached out tentatively and rested on Blaine's palm. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Blaine smiled at him sadly. "His name was Cooper and he was just trying to get home. He'd been out fishing and apparently there was some kind of fight by the beach. Fisherman near him had caught a mermaid and was bringing it into shore. They were arguing over what to do with it. I guess she was still alive. Coop told them to let her go, but they laughed in his face and told him to go home. But he was a stubborn kid," Blaine said with a little laugh of fondness, "and he said he wasn't going to leave until they let her go. They shoved him and he finally did start to go back, but the bickering continued on the beach and it ended up getting really bad. Cooper was waiting at the top of the beach to see what they would do. The guys were just so mad and they ended up pulling out guns and all it took was one misfired shot. It shouldn't have hit him, he should have been home, but it did and my brother died that night over a stupid fish." He finished with a broken cry, not realizing that he'd been crying.

With those last words, Kurt drew his hand away and Blaine reached up his palms to scrub at his eyes. He let out a deep sigh and turned his head, his tears making the image blurry but he could still see the horror in Kurt's wide eyes.

"Kurt…" he said hoarsely, "Kurt, I… I didn't… please forgive me. I didn't mean to—"

To his surprise, Kurt's bright blue eyes softened. "I understand. Your brother meant a great deal to you and to lose him over an argument that shouldn't be allowed to happen in the first place isn't right." Kurt surveyed him for a moment, then moved his hand over to where Blaine's lay clasped in his lap. He rested his palm on Blaine's arm, moving his thumb gently over the skin. Their eyes met. "You've lost so much at the hands of others," he said gently and his voice was hypnotizing. "You are a very strong person. You must never let your pain consume you, Blaine."

"Keep calm and carry on," he whispered to the darkness around them.

"What?"

Blaine turned his head to find Kurt's face very close to his own. "N-nothing. It's… it's just a saying."

"Oh."

Kurt's hand was still moving calmly over Blaine's arm and Blaine realized just how close Kurt was. He could feel his body heat and the press of his knee against his thigh. His beautiful blue eyes were so gentle as he held Blaine's gaze. There was a tension in the air. Blaine swallowed, feeling the warmth fill his cheeks in the cold air.

"Are you alright?" Kurt asked and it took a moment for the words to reach Blaine's ears.

"Yes." He said suddenly and jerked backwards a bit, sliding along the rock and promptly sinking his hand into a shallow pool of water. He gasped, and pulled out his hand, wiping it on his pants. Kurt's hand had shot forward as he fell back and clenched on his upper arm and he now released his grip and a fistful of Blaine's shirt.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked, so caring and worried that Blaine had to look away from his eyes in order to answer.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, it just… just startled me. I'm fine."

Kurt didn't seem so convinced, but he nodded and turned his gaze out to the sea. Blaine let out a slow breath. The water rushed and turned before them, pitch-black and darkening, sparkled with the reflection of the stars above them and the air sparked with wonder.

*********

Blaine tossed and turned in his sleep that night. Kurt was next to him on his bed that he'd insisted he take. He'd had Becky set up a make-shift bed on the floor for himself. Kurt wasn't thrilled that Blaine slept where he did, but he'd agreed to the set-up.

For the most part, Blaine laid awake with his eyes closed, listening to the steady sounds of Kurt's breathing near him. A part of him wondered what Kurt looked like asleep, but he thought that would be weird if he looked. He groaned and rolled over, curling up and trying to think of the rolling sea and the sun on his back as he sailed. The calming thought usually helped him fall asleep, but not tonight.

Tonight, he saw a blue fin on the water and the pale skin of a beautiful creature who beckoned to him. And he could not resist. He found himself walking over to the boat's edge and leaning over, looking down at the merman who smiled and once again called his name. In this half-awake dream, Blaine grabbed hold of the salt-stiff rope and pulled himself up onto the ledge. Kurt grinned and waited, waited for him. And Blaine jumped.

Blaine's eyes shot open. He was still in his room, still heard Kurt's gentle sighs as he slept. He rubbed the heel of his hand over his eyes. This was what had been plaguing him all night. He felt something for Kurt, he knew that. Every time he saw those blue eyes, his heart sped up and he felt like he never had before. But that was a mermaid's (or merman's) trick right? They used their captivating beauty and song to affect desire within their preferred victim. Blaine truthfully didn't know much about a merperson's way with how they called to their victims. Maybe Kurt was trying to make him falsely believe that he was falling in love, and then he would—

No, that was stupid. Kurt wouldn't do that. And they'd had this conversation before. He knew the merpeople weren't killers. But he'd heard that merpeople can lie with great ease. Or was that another rumor? They'd built their friendship on trusting each other and being completely against what was going on around them in the capture of merpeople. All of this fighting between species had spawned over believing the rumors, right? He couldn't start to believe them. Not when he knew in his heart that they were wrong. Kurt wouldn't hurt him.

Blaine closed his eyes and hugged his pillow close.

He was falling in love. He couldn't deny it. But Kurt… Kurt didn't feel the same way. He was trying to learn about humans and prove to his father that they weren't all bad. Kurt didn't need someone like him, someone who'd been broken so many times and somehow managed to crawl back up and keep living. He didn't need someone whose life was so unstable and unpredictable. He deserved someone better than Blaine was. He needed someone as perfect as he was.

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut tighter, trying to will the images of Kurt's gentle smile to leave his mind.

The next day, Blaine was subjected to lunch with King Theon. And as Becky had unfortunately informed him, "the request cannot be turned down."

Grumbling, Blaine had dressed and loaned Kurt clothes too, asking Becky to inform the host that there would be an extra joining him. When they arrived, he was glad to see all of his crew was already seated at the large table. As he expected, even lunch was a grand affair within the palace. At least he wouldn't have to talk to the king alone as long as his crew was here. The more time he spent with Kurt, the more he wanted to get out of this extremely different lifestyle. He wanted to go back to Hali with his face-paced, but enjoyable life. But leaving here would mean leaving Kurt and that thought hurt. However, now was not the time to think of it.

"Ah, Blaine, my boy!" The king called out over the table the moment he'd sat down. Kurt lowered himself down beside him quickly, looking very much like he didn't know what to do. He'd just told him to "follow my lead," but now that they were here, he wasn't sure if that advice would work. The place settings in front of them held an exquisitely-decorated plate, with swirls of red and gold lining the outside of the brilliantly white china. There were three heavy silver forks on one side of the plate, and two spoons and a knife on the other. A cloth napkin perched on top of the plate and a shining goblet stood to the side. Kurt stared down at the unfamiliar things and Blaine could only give him a sympathetic look before he was roped into talking across the table.

"I've had quite a few of these little get-togethers and I've yet to see you here. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were trying to avoid them!"

Blaine spoke eloquently and calmly, a tone Kurt had never heard him use before. It was quite strange. "I like to keep to myself, Your Majesty. It suits me to—"

"Nonsense!" the king interrupted and Kurt saw Blaine's face tighten as he attempted to keep his smile. "When you're staying in my home, you are a guest and I expect you to attend meals. Understood?"

Blaine nodded, though Kurt could see he didn't like it. He looked like a child being reprimanded. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Good. Now that that's settled, let's eat." He snapped his fingers and immediately, servants came pouring in, shaking the napkin out and laying it over each diner's lap. Kurt looked horrified and made to snatch his napkin back from the girl beside him, but stopped himself just in time as he watched what the others were doing. Goblets were filled with red wine and steaming food was plated in front of them. Kurt picked up his drink and lifted it to his lips, taking a large gulp as he saw the king do, and almost spat it back out. His eyes bugged as he swallowed and coughed a little. Blaine turned to him and winced.

"You sip it," he whispered as the king was drawn into a loud conversation with another diner.

Kurt grimaced and put his drink down, not wanting anything to do with the bitter liquid. Blaine promptly picked up his fork and raised his eyebrows a bit, making sure Kurt was watching. He then speared a lettuce leaf and raised it to his lips, taking the small piece whole in his mouth. Kurt tried his best to copy all throughout the meal. He was still unsure with cutlery and ended up eating hardly anything in an attempt not to end up with his food in his lap. Blaine engaged in conversation with the others around them, where Kurt stayed quiet and gave some input when Blaine turned to him, trying to include him. There was an Asian sailor that Blaine talked to most and Kurt was pulled into that conversation, but he managed not to make a complete fool of himself, thanks to Blaine's quick-thinking.

Lunch ended up being three courses and by the last section, Kurt was quite ready to go back to Blaine's room or the beach or anywhere but here. Blaine looked equally ready to leave and when the king announced lunch to be over, they all stood and thanked him. Blaine left quickly, with Kurt tagging along as close as he could.

"That was… not very fun." Kurt supplied when they were out in the sunshine, his head still ringing with the king's booming laugh.

Blaine smiled, throwing his head back a bit. "Exactly why I don't like going to them. I'm thankful for the king's generosity in allowing us to stay, but I would be just fine with never going to another luncheon or dinner again."

"Your friends seem very nice."

He turned his head as they rounded a corner. "They are. I've known Wes since I was young. I'm sorry they can be a bit… much."

Kurt blushed as he remembered the conversation. "It's alright."

Blaine took a deep breath. "So… umm… I was wondering if you'd like to take a walk with me tonight…."

**********

"I just love sunsets. Don't you?" Blaine turned to Kurt and stared out at the sight before them. Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head back.

"It's very strange to see it from here."

"Not afraid of heights, are you? I should have asked you that before…"

"A bit, I guess, but this isn't terrible."

Blaine took in the expression on Kurt's face. "Want to get closer?"

After a moment, Kurt nodded and took Blaine's hand. Blaine smiled and began the walk up the steps. Wes had recommended this place to them after they'd met Kurt this afternoon. That had been interesting indeed.

*

"So this is the famous Kurt." Nick grinned.

"Famous?" Kurt whispered as he leaned in towards Blaine. "What have I done?"

"N-nothing. Just ignore him." He shot a glare at Nick, who just shrugged his shoulders.

"Nice to meet you Kurt." Wes held out a hand. "Glad Blaine's made a new friend on this lonely little island. Maybe you can get him to relax and have a bit of fun." He smiled, a laugh on his lips. "Where did you say you were from again?"

"Oh, umm… I didn't. I…" A blush filled Kurt's cheeks and he looked to Blaine for help. The rest of Blaine's crew seemed to lean in to catch his answer.

"He's visiting from Tras." Blaine supplied, keeping his voice level and his eyes convincing. Kurt knew he could never keep that type of composure. But he supposed that these were Blaine's friends and it was easier to lie with those you trusted.

"Tras? Never heard of it. Where is it?"

"Oh, small town. Very small. You wouldn't have heard of it." Blaine brushed off the question and managed to launch into another discussion in the same breath. Kurt hoped he wouldn't have to start lying more. It was hard enough when Blaine was the one telling the lies for him.

*

But it seemed like that wouldn't be an issue.

"We're starting to prepare the ship to go back." Blaine said suddenly, as they reached the top of the small mountain. It didn't look like much and it wasn't hard climb, especially with the carved staircase, but the view was incredible. Wes had been Blaine's friend for as long as he could remember and when Wes had raised his eyebrows at him after he'd introduced Kurt, Blaine knew he meant to ask someone special? He hadn't been able to stop the slight blush and Wes didn't miss it, which was why Blaine wasn't completely surprised when Wes spouted off that Blaine should show Kurt the most beautiful view in all of Jeulian. It was a popular tourist spot, but also a place where young lovers would come to sit and watch the sunset together. There was only one other couple out tonight and they were further down, hidden in the shadows of the trees that lined the sides of the mountain, so it felt like they were alone.

Blaine led Kurt over to a flat area and sat down, Kurt appearing gracefully beside him in a moment.

"What do you mean you're leaving?"

Blaine licked his lips. It made his heart ache when he thought about leaving. "I have to. I've got to go back to Hali. I don't live here."

"Would you, if you could?"

He was quiet for a while, tracing patterns in the smooth rock next to his thigh. "I don't think so. Hali's my home."

"I don't want you to go," Kurt said so softly, Blaine would have missed it had they not been sitting so close together. He didn't even realize they were that close until he turned his head and could see every eyelash that ringed Kurt's wide eyes.

"I'll be back." Blaine tried to keep his voice light, but it came out full of dread. He didn't want to go either.

"I won't be human then."

"There's still two days until I have to leave."

Two days left? It's been five days already? "It wouldn't be enough." Kurt said, raising his voice from the breathy whisper. "There's still so much I want to learn, so much I want to do."

"You still can."

"I… I don't want to. Without you."

Blaine was silent for a few long heartbeats.

"You make me feel safe." Kurt clarified, his words coming faster. "I know I can trust you. I'm not scared with you and I don't want to end up like… like Brittany and I know that if I'm with you, I'll be okay."

"Kurt, you can always—"

"No. I can't. I have two days until I turn back into a merman. That's not enough time. There will never be enough time for all the things I want to do. And—" he sucked in a short breath, "I want to go with you."

Blaine felt his eyebrows crease. "Wh… what do you mean?"

"To Hali. I want to go with you."

"Kurt, you… It takes two weeks to get there by boat. You'd be a merman before we got there. And you can't just leave your family. It's only a few days. I don't think they'd be ecstatic if you went across the ocean with me. And we're not coming back for six months."

Six months. Kurt felt the frown on his face. He couldn't wait six months to see Blaine. He just couldn't. He was too worried about that to notice that Blaine hadn't completely rejected the idea.

"Kurt," Blaine asked suddenly, quietly, "can I ask you something?"

"Yes, anything."

Blaine opened his mouth, then closed it, then swallowed, then met Kurt's eyes. "N-never mind. Just… never mind."

Kurt tilted his head. "Okay," he said slowly. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's really not important. It's fine."

Kurt gave him a small smile and laid down against the rock, still warm from the heat of the day, and stared up at the darkening sky.

Blaine's heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn't do this. He really couldn't. He couldn't just sit next to Kurt and pretend like everything was fine, like he didn't feel anything other than friendship for him. But he laid back too, tucked his arms under his head and stared at the sky. He let out a deep breath, not broaching the subject any more tonight.

He hoped that he could be strong enough to do this, one way or the other. Either he had to tell Kurt how he felt, or keep his feelings bottled up and go the rest of his life wondering what would have happened. But for either option, he was running out of time. They both were.


	11. Chapter 11

It was too soon. It was much, much too soon. Kurt cursed the sun rising so innocently above the water. He wished he could just will the sun to go back to sleep, to not rise today or ever again.

Blaine was on the ship with his crew, watching over them as they scrubbed the deck and loaded the cannons with ammo or whatever it was they did on a ship. Kurt sighed, dropping his head in his hands and methodically watching the sun. Today was it. His time was as a human was up, Blaine's time on this land was done, their time together was over. He could almost see the last grain of sand drop out of the thing of clear glass that kept time. He had one in his hoard of human collectables and he wished now that he could hurl it against the wall and not have to see the flecks of sand in his mind that slid away so quickly.

Kurt dug his hands into the sand beside him, angry at having to go back. Blaine would leave and he would be alone. Then, at midnight, he would be a merman once more. It just wasn't fair. He needed more time.

Time. Kurt's head flicked up, where he blinked at the water and then chewed his bottom lip. He needed more time as a human so he could go with them. Blaine hadn't completely rejected the idea last night and… and what if he were able to go? There was one person who could give him what he needed.

He stood quickly, glancing up at the ship. Everyone was so busy, they wouldn't even notice if he dove in the water and stayed under for far, far longer than any normal human should. Blaine might notice his absence, but if he went quickly…

The fastest way there was a dangerous route. He would have to swim right through Tras. He could be spotted, taken back home. But he thought of Blaine and in a moment, his mind was made up. Allowing himself one last glance to the lumbering ship, he waded out into the water.

His legs immediately began to tingle. It was a strange sensation. The air became harder to breathe and he forced himself to move further from the shore. He needed to get to a place where he could swim. His lungs were burning slightly with discomfort as his body began to change. His legs were pricking and he tore off his borrowed clothes as he sunk down beneath the water's surface. It was incredible to feel his body morphing. His eyes blurred with double vision, then snapped into focus as they became compatible with the water again. He felt his lungs gratefully sigh with the swirl of the sea. He no longer felt the chill of the water that his human skin would shiver from. But it was his legs that took the longest to change. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited, sighing unhappily. The pale skin of his lower body was turning the teal color that he'd known for so long, but already seemed foreign. He could feel his skin hardening, the muscles shifting as his limbs fused. The fluttering ends of his tail spread out in the water and the moment he shifted his newly-formed tail back and forth, he let out a groan of relief.

He was thankful for his speed now. Merpeople could swim so much faster than any other creature of the sea and he pushed forward with all that he had, keeping his thoughts on his destination. He was forced to slow down when he reached the boundaries of Tras, having to hide from the patrolling guards that he recognized as those from the palace. They were everywhere. Well this is new, Kurt thought as he ducked out of sight and carefully picked out his next place to hide. He hoped this level of security had to do with the heightened level of merpeople-hunting that Blaine had warned him about. If there was anyone he could trust to keep their people safe, it would be his father.

Getting through the city was surprisingly easy. There was one time when he caught sight of the shimmering lavender tail of one Rachel Berry, but it wasn't long before she disappeared from view and Kurt could continue, though he did so cautiously now in case Finn was with her.

The black, porous rock that formed the cave he was searching for was easy to find, now that he knew where it was. He did not hesitate at the entrance as he did before, knowing that he would be shrouded in darkness until he saw the light of Mercedes's home. He swam straight through the dark waters, saw the familiar opening to a room, but froze in his tracks when a figure blocked his path.

"What are you doing here?" She growled, obviously not happy to see him.

His heart leapt in his throat at her sudden appearance and he had trouble forming the words. "I-I want..ed to a—"

"Well spit it out! I don't have all day!"

He took a deep breath and willed his hands to stop shaking as he looked into her eyes, alight with fire. "I need more time."

"Baby, I don't control the way time revolves," she sighed, her voice gentler but still strong.

"I know. I… I meant I need more time as… as a human."

"We had a deal. I give you your legs; you leave and never come back. I've kept my bargain. There's nothing I can do." She turned and shooed him with her hand.

Kurt's eyes flickered in panic. No, she couldn't leave. Not now. "N-no. Please! You don't understand. He's going to leave and it's—"

She stopped. Kurt realized he'd moved forward with his plea and immediately shrunk back.

"He?" Mercedes faced him, tilting her head a bit. "What's all this about?"

"I love him. I mean, I… I've never been in love, but if I had been, I'd think that it would feel like this. You're my only chance. I have to be human again so I can go with him. He needs to know I love him."

"Why can't you tell him that now?"

"Because he… he… he means everything to me and I can't just spring it on him. He'll be confused and maybe upset and I don't even know if he loves me back, but I have to try and…" His head dropped, his voice small. "And if he doesn't care about me that way, then I'll know that I did everything I could."

Her eyes softened. Kurt didn't know if the 'holier than thou' act was a charade because it seemed that Mercedes really did care about him. "Do you remember the conditions under which I gave you your legs in the first place?"

Oh, he remembered. "To help others. I had to not want it for myself," he said softly, already knowing where she was taking this.

"And?"

"And… and this is wanting it for myself."

"That's right. Let me ask you something though. You love him?"

"More than anything I've ever known."

"And do you love your family?"

"Yes. Of course I do."

A knowing look crossed her face. "If you had to choose between the two, which would you pick?"

His brows pulled down. "I don't—"

"Which could you not live without?"

"I…" he closed his eyes, his heart pulling on equal levels, but he knew who he would pick. "My family," he said softly.

"It seems to me like you're choosing this boy over them. The way I hear it, you left them high and dry like a fish out of water. No word about where you'd gone off to. There one minute, gone the next. They're worried out of their minds, young one. Would you really do that to them again?"

Kurt's heart dropped. He hadn't thought…

"I thought so," Mercedes commented gently.

Kurt hung his head and was barely aware that Mercedes had swam up beside him. He looked up. "I don't know what to do," he whispered, so lost with his feelings. He didn't want to hurt his family, which he supposed he'd already done. He didn't want to hurt Blaine, who was expecting to meet him on the shore and would find the area empty. He'd left without a goodbye. And it was the only chance he'd get.

"How much longer did you want?" Mercedes asked simply.

Kurt's words were thick. He felt like he'd just been punched in the stomach. "I… I don't know… three months."

"That's a long time to make your family worry, baby"

Kurt lifted his head, an idea forming and the bubble of hope swelled in his mind. "I can tell them. Dad, mom, Finn, everyone. I can tell them where I've been and where I'm going and why. And… and then they won't have to worry anymore. Right?"

Her eyebrows lifted, bright brown eyes shone. "Yes, you can. Like you should have done in the first place."

He knew Mercedes was right and he could feel the guilt race through his body, but he'd never felt anything this strong before and he knew that he just couldn't let Blaine go, not like this. "Then I'll do it. I'll tell them everything and then I'll come back here and…" he trailed off and looked up at her, his excitement simmering down. What if she refused?

He paused, waited for an answer that didn't seem like it would ever come. He finally whispered, forced himself not to shrink under her gaze, "He needs to know and I can't just leave him like this."

Mercedes sighed greatly. "I don't know what it is about you, young prince," she said, turning and heading over to her cupboard filled with mismatched sets of human belongings, some matching the ones that Kurt had in his own little cave. "Maybe I'm not the sorceress I thought I was."

Kurt perked up, watching her and staying silent. She pulled out bottles, most of which Kurt recognized with their shimmering liquids and fancy stoppers.

"You need three months?"

"Yes," Kurt nodded, his voice shaking in sudden anticipation, and remembering what happened last time, asked, "Is there anything that will change me faster? The ship is going to leave today, in a few hours if that and I—"

"I'll take care of it, Prince Kurt. Go on and tell your family now."

Kurt turned and forgot to nod to her in his haste, but he was already out in the open sea before he remembered.

**********

Now that he wanted to find a member of his family, they were nowhere to be seen. He couldn't just throw himself in front of a guard and demand to be taken to the palace, but he also didn't want to be found by his father directly. Not if he wanted to get a word in at all and he had a lot of explaining to do and so little time to do it in.

He remembered where he saw Rachel earlier and circled around a few times, hoping they would be near. And he thanked his lucky stars when he saw the blue tail with the light-green tipped ends that could only belong to his brother.

"Finn!" he hissed from his hiding place, not wanting to draw the attention of anyone else who may be near.

His brother tensed and whipped his head around. Kurt called him again and let out a low whistling tune, three notes that they used to get one another's attention when they were younger.

Finn swam up immediately and was pulled in by a pale arm. "Hey!" he yelped and bit his lip when Kurt shushed him. His voice lowered in the dark space where they sat. "Kurt? Wh… what the kelp are you doing here? Where have you been? The whole kingdom is looking for you!"

Despite the time-crunch of this morning, Kurt's brows furrowed. "What are you talking about, Finn?"

His brother gripped his shoulders as if feeling that he was indeed here and this wasn't just some trick. "You're here? You're alive?"

The relieved tears started brimming in Finn's eyes. Kurt had only ever seen him cry a handful of times the many years he'd known him. "Finn? I'm fine. What's going on?"

Finn took a breath and composed himself, looking into Kurt's searching eyes. "I… we all thought… you were just here and then… then you weren't and you didn't come back and… and they came and kept hunting more and more and… Brittany… I didn't really know her but I knew you were her friend and we all thought that they'd… gotten you. We thought you were d-dead."

Kurt's heart slammed in his chest. They'd thought he was dead? Then the increased security around the city wasn't only for protection of the merpeople inside. It was for King Burt to be able to know in a moment if there was the sign of a teal tail fluttering on the water… To know if his son had come home.

"Finn, I—"

"What were you thinking? Where have you been? Do you know how terrified we've all been? Or is it all just fun and games for you? That you can just swim off on your adventures without even a word and none of us will even care? Kurt, you've been gone for a week! People are talking about how Dad is too unstable now, with losing your mother and now you. Mom is going out of her mind trying to hold this kingdom together. And Rachel and I can't even—" Finn stopped mid-sentence, fuming with anger and hurt and wearing the look on his face that Kurt knew meant he'd almost said too much.

Kurt's eyes were filling with tears. He didn't even realize how much he'd put his family through. It was quiet as Finn took calming breaths and scrubbed his hands over his eyes. Kurt bit his lip. "W-what were you going to say?" he asked, his own voice so small and foreign to his ears.

Finn tilted his head back, sighing, then looked at Kurt again. "You can't say anything. No one else knows. We just found out… we didn't want to say anything, not now, not with… everything that's going on." He paused and through the mixture of emotions in his eyes, Kurt saw excitement and pride. "Rachel is going to have a baby," he said softly.

"Oh, Finn," Kurt said gently.

"I wanted to tell you first and then we could make an announcement to Mom and Dad, as a family. But… you know now," he finished in a quiet voice.

Again, Kurt felt the sting of guilt. Finn had wanted to tell him first, and in the end, he'd gotten his wish, but it wasn't like anything either of them wanted it to be. Kurt pressed his lips together to stop the tears. "I'm happy for you, Finn. For both of you."

Finn simply nodded as the only acknowledgement and turned the conversation on Kurt. "Where have you been?"

He owed his brother the truth after all he'd put him through, but the words and reason sounded feeble to Kurt's ears. "I saw a man on the ship that came into port. And I saw him later on the beach, by the tide pools, and I… talked to him."

Finn's eyes grew wide. "You talked to a human?"

Kurt nodded, knowing he'd disobeyed a rule that the two of them, and all other children of the merpeople, had grown up hearing. "He's not like everyone makes them out to be. He's different. They're not all out to hunt us."

"How can you know that?"

"I went to… a sorceress, she didn't tell me her name, and she gave me a potion that would let me have human legs for a week and I… went to see him." Kurt caught himself before he said Mercedes's name. He didn't want to have her taken prisoner by the guards for helping Kurt, even if she only did it because he asked.

Finn blinked hard, having to replay the words in his head. "You… you were a human for a week?"

"Yes. And Finn, there's so much you don't know, so much that we all don't know. But… but that's…" Kurt groaned, getting twisted in his words and his haste to explain. "I love him. The human from the ship. I love him and I had to come back here to tell you and everyone. And I'm going with him. I'm leaving to be with him."

Finn's mouth opened and no sound came out. "Wait… what?"

"I'm going with him and I have to tell everyone quickly and there's nothing anyone can say to stop me."

"But—"

Kurt was aware just how fast time was seeping through his fingers and he blurted, "How did you feel when you first met Rachel?"

Finn's eyes went wide and he blinked, but answered, "I loved her when I first saw her."

"That's how I feel about him, Finn. And I can't let him leave without…" he sighed. "I don't know if he loves me too, but he's everything I could ever have wished for and I love him more than I've ever loved anything."

"Kurt, you… you love him? He's a human. You can't love him. It's… he's done something to you, clouded your head."

"My head is just fine. Do you remember what you said to me when I told you I was gay? That you'd support me no matter who I loved. This shouldn't be any different; it isn't any different. I love him and whether human or merman, I'm going to fight for the chance to be with him just the same."

Kurt kept his gaze fixed strongly on his brother, closing his eyes for only a moment as he sighed. "I don't have a lot of time, Finn. I wanted to tell you and now I need to tell Mom and Dad and then I'm leaving."

A ghost of a memory came flooding back into his mind, when he was younger and asked to go out with his friends and his father had said no and he'd stuck with that same 'well, I'm going to do it anyway' mentality. In this moment, he felt exactly like his fifteen year-old self, stubborn and unwilling to bend.

When he turned, he was surprised to feel a hand on his arm. He glanced back at Finn, no longer the always immature person he once knew. It felt like everyone around him was growing up, changing, and he was still stuck to live this life without ever knowing love. But he'd finally found it and he wasn't giving it up without a fight.

"Kurt, I… I meant that." Finn paused, releasing his arm. "And I still do." He paused. "How much time do you have left?"

"An hour, if that. And that's including the time I need to go back to get the potion."

Finn was shaking his head even as he spoke. "Dad will never be able to hear out your speech in that much time and I know you'll be too nervous to talk to him anyway, not under this much pressure."

The conversation was already playing in Kurt's mind. His father would be relieved, but furious, and Kurt wouldn't be able to get a word in and then it would be too late…

"I'll talk to him. He's not going to be happy, but I'll tell him for you."

Kurt swore his heart almost burst. "Finn? You would do that?"

"I'm your brother, it's what I'm supposed to do," he said with a soft smile. Kurt threw his arms around him and held him tightly.

"Thank you, thank you so much."

"How long will you be gone for?"

Kurt pulled back and bit his lip. "Three months."

"That's a long time," Finn said, running a hand through his hair.

"I know."

"He means that much to you?"

"Yes."

"And… and you're sure he's not… I don't want him to hurt you. I thought I lost you once and I'm not going to go through that again," he said softly, seriously.

"Yes," Kurt breathed.

Finn nodded. "Alright. Then go."

Kurt was being gently shoved backwards. "Finn…" he said softly, trying to say without words all that he was feeling.

"Just go."

"Thank you," he whispered and turned, making sure the coast was clear before leaving his home again and going out into the sea.

*********

It seemed like he was always fighting time. The sun was getting higher in the sky as Kurt swam, urging himself to go faster as he kicked his powerful tail to move him forward again and again. The tiny bottle was clutched in his hand. More potent, Mercedes had said. It would change him from a merman to a human in a matter of moments. It would also make him extremely dizzy, among other side effects for a few hours, but Kurt had no time to waste.

Faster, faster, faster, he swam on, the endless sea of blue stretching out in front of him. He could see the outline of the great ship's hull, getting ever nearer. He was close, so close. They hadn't left yet; that was good. He might make it now.

Kurt clutched the bottle tighter in his fist.

*********

"He's been out there a long time. Someone's going to have to go get him soon."

"Looks like he's finally got his land legs and now he doesn't want to leave."

"No, he's waiting."

"For what?"

Wes raised his eyebrows at David. "Are you kidding me? Everyone he knows here is on this ship! Who else could he be waiting for?"

"We're not missing anyone are we?" David glanced around at the crew, most of whom were now lounging around on the deck, waiting for orders from their tardy captain.

"Look at him!" Wes hissed and pointed out towards the shore. Blaine was sitting on the rocks, staring out into the sea. "If that isn't the picture of a man waiting for someone, then I don't know what is."

Realization clicked in David's brain and showed on his face. "Wait… you think… you think he's waiting for Kurt?"

"Of course he is. He said he had to go say goodbye to someone. It has to be Kurt. I've never seen him this upset. And by upset, I mean not talking to anyone and not laughing and going off and sulking by himself."

"You… you don't think…"

"You saw the way they looked at each other at dinner. And every day since then. Why else would he look like a love-struck puppy? This isBlaine we're talking about. The Blaine that hides his emotions behind smiles, the Blaine that stays calm even in the worst storms. Our first sailing together was when we were both just sailors and we hit a patch of rough weather. It was bad. Wind and rain blowing so hard, you could barely see your hand in front of you and I was on the verge of panicking because my sister had told me just that morning that I had to make sure and be back for her birthday and I wasn't going to die out there. And he calmed me down. I'd never seen anyone so gentle while the world was dying around him. And if Kurt can make him break off and have him feel like he needs to hide his feelings again after only knowing him a week, that's love like I've only seen a handful of times."

David sighed and looked out again at Blaine. "Well, love or not, this ship needs to sail and she won't go without her captain. Someone needs to go and get him."

"I'll do it." Wes said, already turning and heading for the dock. "Get the crew ready to sail."

"Aye aye. But you'd better hurry."

**********

Kurt had to loosen his grip on the tiny bottle in his hand, for fear that he was going to break it. He bit his lip, keeping his eyes focused on the way the sand rose up before him, ever closer to the shore. He didn't risk poking his head above water to take the potion. He couldn't be seen and if it worked as fast as Mercedes had promised, he would have legs before he could blink. And getting sick from the side effects now, while still in a good eight feet of water was not something he wanted to experience.

He pushed on, feeling the muscles in his tail start to cramp from the exertion. Almost there. So close, almost there.

**********

A hand gripped Blaine's shoulder. "Captain Blaine? The ship is ready. We have to leave now or we risk being delayed. Lord Hath is a patient man but I don't think that being late is going to look good for your first sailing as his lord's men."

Blaine sighed, keeping his eyes trained on the lightly tossing sea, knowing that Wes was right and wanting nothing more than to keep sitting right here and waiting for Kurt until he returned. He'd been down here the last time Blaine looked, but when he'd been able to come down to say goodbye as he'd promised, Kurt had been gone. Blaine had been out here a while and he wasn't coming back. Maybe it had been too much. Or maybe Blaine had put too much of his own emotions into this situation. Maybe Kurt didn't really care about him the way he thought. Maybe at his core, Kurt was a merman through and through, conniving and as unpredictable as the sea itself.

He stood, tearing his eyes from the water and looking up at Wes. "Of course."

Wes could see the sadness in Blaine's eyes and as he put an arm around his shoulders to lead him away, said gently, "There are plenty of other shipments to be made. You'll see him again."

Blaine nodded and stood up a bit taller, but it was only for his first-mate and best friend's benefit. Wes didn't know the truth and Blaine could not tell him. And he was never going to see Kurt again, not when his time as a human was up, and it would be too dangerous to show himself as a merman. That was with the notion that Kurt actually wanted to see him and it was clear now that he didn't.

********

Ten feet out in the water, Kurt was pulling the stopper from the bottle and pressing it to his lips as he swallowed. He kicked his tail once, twice, feeling his tough scales practically melting off his body to be replaced with human flesh. He was scrambling in the water with legs in a matter of seconds, pulling himself up with his arms to the surface, gasping for air with human lungs. And Mercedes had been right.

He was so dizzy, he could hardly see. There was a dangerous ringing in his ears as a precursor to blacking out and he fought it, fought to stay above water, but for every breath of air he sucked in, he swallowed a mouthful of the sea and it choked him. He thrashed, his limbs growing heavy even as his eyes bulged and his heart raced, sending spasms through his body as a last resort to swim, swim, swim before he was overcome. The edges of his vision flashed and clouded with a silver fog and he constricted his throat. There was a sharp tugging sensation and all he saw was white.


	12. Chapter 12

Kurt is choking, gasping, spluttering and forcing seawater from his lungs. He sucks in a gulp of air and his eyes focus on a face amidst the white blur that consumed his vision a moment earlier, which he now realizes was the grey sky above them. There's a familiar mouth forming words and Kurt vaguely hears them. He closes his eyes and groans as his lungs ache for oxygen.

Blaine's arms are still wrapped around Kurt's weakly flailing form from where he yanked him out of the water and he clutches him tighter, repeating over and over, "Are you okay?"

Blaine moves a hand up to Kurt's cheek and just lays it there, warm and comforting, and Kurt begins to relax, take calmer breaths. He's okay now.

"I… I'm fine." He gasps, finding his breath again and staring up into Blaine's concerned eyes. There's someone else near and asking questions, but Kurt doesn't let his eyes wander. Blaine is keeping him grounded and with how dizzy he feels, he needs all the stability he can get.

Blaine's asking something else and Kurt has to fight to focus. "What were you doing?" he asks gently as he wraps his coat around the other man's naked form. Kurt searches in his mind for an answer that won't give him away.

"S-swimming." It's the first thing he can come up with and it's a terrible answer and it's obvious in the way that Blaine's eyebrows draw down that he doesn't believe him, but he nods anyway and next to him, Wes repeats in a low, stunned voice, "Swimming? Naked?" Blaine ignores him and keeps his attention on Kurt. "Can you stand?"

At this, Kurt nods and Blaine's arms clutch around him, helping him up. A wave of dizziness comes over him, throwing his sense of the world around him all off kilter. Blaine catches him as he sinks, holds him up, and whispers feverishly if he's truly alright. Kurt manages to whisper back that he'll explain later. Blaine just holds him closer and helps him maneuver his way forward.

"I'm going with you," Kurt says softly, looking up and hoping that Blaine can see that he has more time now. Blaine seems to understand because he nods again, though Kurt knows this conversation isn't over. But it's all he can do right now not to fall so he's grateful that Blaine doesn't bring it up now. Wes is beside them and Blaine says something to him and he goes off in a hurry towards the ship. Blaine waits a moment, then asks, "You're not going to turn back are you?"

"No," Kurt answers, gripping onto Blaine's arms for support. His legs feel about as supportive as the pudding he'd eaten at the last of the king's dinners.

"How long?"

"Three months," Kurt says quickly and he hears Blaine's breath hitch. They almost stop walking, as Blaine is the only thing keeping Kurt up at the moment, but he continues on towards the ship.

"Three….?" He trails off in a disbelieving sigh. Kurt doesn't know if it's a sigh of happiness or disappointment. He hopes the former, but his heart sinks a little.

"I'm going to have Nick take you down to the bunks. Are you sure you're okay? You look… you look sick." He eyes Kurt worriedly as they step off the dock and onto the ship. The crewmembers are bustling about now, with Wes's relayed orders.

"It's the potion," he whispers. "I'll explain later."

He can feel Blaine nod against his hair. "I have to take care of things up here for a while but I'll come down when I can."

Kurt wants to talk to him more, but a sailor he presumes is Nick is standing in front of them and listening to Blaine's instructions. Then he's gripped in a strong embrace and Blaine gives him a small smile and that's the last he sees of him.

"Don't have your sea legs, huh?" Nick asks in a light tone. "A bit early for that, just yet."

"Yeah…" Kurt says with a soft laugh. "Something like that."

"You'll get them soon enough. The captain's having me take you to the bunks. You'll be sharing with Jeff. I wasn't told we were taking any extra sailors though."

"Oh, I'm… I'm not a sailor."

"Really? What are you then?"

Kurt scrambles for a lie, but his brain is foggy and it's hard to even keep himself standing. "I'm a friend and Blaine offered to take me across. I'm going to Hali." Kurt knows that Blaine has the sense to keep with the story if he hears it.

They come to a set of narrow stairs and have to go one at a time, Kurt gripping the railing with all he has. Thankfully, the designated bunk is just next to the stairs and keeping one hand on Kurt's forearm, Nick opens the door.

"That one's yours," he points to the lower bed of the bunks. It's a very small room, holding only one set of wooden bunk beds, a bucket with drinking water and a ladle, a small candle-lit lamp that swings from the ceiling, and a faded emerald trunk that reads 'Jeff Sterling' in scripted, peeling gold letters. "Bathroom is down the hall," he continues, pointing vaguely over his shoulder. "Captain said to make sure you stay here until he comes down, so I'd advise you do so. Blaine runs a tight schedule so you don't want to get under his skin and screw it up."

Nick turns for the door after making sure Kurt is sitting down. "You all good?"

Kurt nods and thanks him, amazed at how much strength it took just to make it here and comprehend what Nick said. When the door shuts, it's quiet and Kurt lies back gratefully. He doesn't know if it is because he is so tired, but the pillow is soft and he curls in under the blanket and closes his eyes against the way the room seems to spin.

He is asleep in a matter of minutes.

*********

"Hey."

Kurt scrunches his eyes, wanting to stay within the warmth of sleep.

"Hey. Kurt."

He groans, hoping the voice will go away.

It doesn't. And is now accompanied by sharp pokes to his side.

"Kurt. Wake up."

He opens one eye and in the dim light, he recognizes a tan face framed with dark curls.

Blaine wears the look of someone who's put in a lot of work in little time, from the salty scent of sweat on his body, to the glassy eyes and the worn smile. He looks down at Kurt with concern in his eyes, despite how tired he obviously feels.

"How are you doing?"

Kurt stretches slowly, lifting himself up and is elated that he doesn't feel like he's going to throw up. "Better."

Blaine's smile is relieved. "Good. Sorry it took me so long."

"What time is it?"

"Past ten."

"At night?" Kurt jolts up, groaning when he moves too fast.

"Hey, hey," Blaine soothes gently, pressing a hand on his shoulder. "Take it easy. All that sleep was probably good for you."

Kurt relaxes at the touch and drops his head in his hands. "Sorry. And I know I owe you an explanation."

"Not right now." Blaine removes his hand and crosses his arms contentedly as he adjusts his place on the edge of Kurt's bed. "Not when you're still sick. You can tell me later."

Kurt isn't sure how much relief is in his eyes, but Blaine's beautiful, tired smile is back on his face and reassures him in a moment. Kurt has never met anyone as patient and trusting as Blaine and he doesn't know if it's a good thing or not that he automatically feels at home with him.

"How long exactly are we sailing?"

"Three weeks or so, depending on weather. But it looks like we'll be right on time." Blaine pauses, then glances at him and his eyes appear so much richer in color as his eyelashes fan out. "And… your parents are okay with… this?"

Kurt nods, though he feels the pang in his chest. "My brother is going to explain. I couldn't just let you leave."

Blaine's eyes widen and Kurt fears he said too much. He feels the shocked expression freeze on his face. Then Blaine relaxes, Kurt lets out a breath and Blaine says sincerely, "Well, I'm glad you're here."

There's a pause where the air seems to still within the small cabin and then a knock sounds at the door. Blaine turns his head as the door opens and Wes appears.

"Captain, you're needed up on deck."

Blaine nods to him, glancing back at Kurt before brushing past him and leaving. Wes gives him a small smile before letting the door swing shut.

********

It is well after midnight before Jeff stumbles in the room, muttering about the first night being the worst and climbs up on the top bunk, becoming silent immediately and dropping straight to sleep. Kurt is woken for that brief moment, but does not reawaken until Jeff slides out of bed again to begin the morning routines.

********

Kurt regains his strength in the days following, but the lingering sensation that the world is tilting underneath him every time he stands forces him to stay in his bunk until the next week. Blaine comes in to talk to him when he can and has on more than one occasion, fallen asleep leaning up against the wall as he sits on Kurt's bed. It is then that Kurt sits in the silence and thinks of this crazy plan he's devised and how on earth it's going to turn out. There's the way he'd like it to turn out and a million other ways it could unfold.

Blaine has requested a sailor to bring Kurt meals and changes of clothes and to alert him immediately if anything changes with his condition. The sailors aren't told what exactly Kurt has, only that there is no need to worry about him being contagious, that he's getting better, and to not pester Kurt or Blaine about anything regarding him unless it's an emergency.

It is a week and two days after they first set sail that Kurt stands and feels confident enough to make his way to the deck. The cold air that hits his face is a welcome feeling on his flushed skin. He smiles, not feeling weakness anymore. This is very good, a much welcome change from his horrible week being practically bedridden.

The open sky is a welcome sight after only seeing the drab walls in the lower bunks for much too long. He lets his bare feet take him to the closest edge, where he presses his hands against the smooth wood and stares out into the dark sea. It is very late and most of the crew have slumped in their beds for the night. Some stand their posts outside, staring out ahead and taking little notice of him. Kurt takes deep breaths of the cleansing air. A part of him misses being in the ocean. But more of him wants this too badly to be truly upset about it.

He barely notices when a figure comes up beside him, but it takes only a second for him to realize it's Blaine.

"Well this is good, if you're out and about."

Kurt turns to see Blaine smiling at him. "I was about to go crazy in that little room."

"I was wondering whether or not you'd succumbed to cabin fever," Blaine says with a laugh that Kurt loves hearing. He turns his face to hide his blush. Blaine doesn't seem to notice and steps up to the side of him, their shoulders barely touching. "So, do you like the night too?"

Kurt nods eagerly. "It's so peaceful at night. The sea is calm and it's a beautiful time to just listen to the world around you. Don't you agree?"

"Mmhmm. Are you sure you don't have the power to read minds?" When Kurt laughs and shakes his head, Blaine tells him softly, "If you do, you can tell me."

Kurt cocks his head and smiles, but realizes that Blaine is only half-kidding. "We don't have powers, Blaine." He insists before adding, "There are a rare few that do, but the only one in my family is my dad. And he can only change the forms of merpeople."

Blaine's eyebrows raise. "Really? Then why didn't you ask him to…" he trails off and gestures at Kurt's form.

"Because his powers used on others are permanent. And he would never allow me to forever change into a human, no matter the reason."

Blaine nods, but Kurt sees that he still has a question in his gaze. He chooses to ignore it.

There's a soft shimmer on the water, for only a split second, but it seems as though no one except the two of them notice.

"That was a mermaid wasn't it?" Blaine asks quietly, though there is no one around who is close enough to hear their conversation.

Without looking at him, Kurt supplies, "Yes," with a sigh, though he really hopes that it was just a trick of the moonlight. "They wouldn't get so careless. It… it must be someone who's lost." Or searching, he adds in his mind, with the picture of his family swimming to the front of his thoughts. He really hopes that Finn was able to calm his parents. It was a lot to ask, but Kurt had no one else to turn to, being so crunched for time.

"She'll be okay, though?"

Kurt lets his head tilt to look at Blaine. "I hope so."

The quiet night envelopes them as they turn their thoughts to the sea, letting the calmness wash over them for now.


	13. Chapter 13

The next three weeks seemed to go by much too fast. Kurt began to slightly understand the ins and outs of working on a ship, though he still had to be very careful not to get drenched in the spray of the sea, he found life on a boat to be quite relaxing. The rest of the crew worked very hard and Blaine carried his own weight, often walking with heavy steps because he was so tired by the end of the day. But he always said goodnight to Kurt.

At midday, after many passing nights at sea, Wes called out that there was land spotted ahead and the crew jumped into their bustling work getting the ship prepared to dock. Kurt stood out of their way and watched the land come closer in his vision. Hali was a beautiful place, even from this far away. The dock was quite small compared to Jeulian's massive docking area and could hold Blaine's ship and two or three others. As it were, two ships occupied the dock, making Blaine's the third, and as he explained quickly, final of the king's three ships used mainly for transporting goods that their small town needed.

The land was lush and green from what Kurt could see, many houses spotted along the shore. He saw the large home of who he presumed was Lord Hath in the distance past the first houses, smaller and less grand than King Theon's palace, but it seemed at place here among the quiet town. Blaine lived here, grew up here. He craned his neck to the houses that were getting ever-closer and wondered if any one of those were Blaine's. There were a few people dressed in simple clothing along the shore. A mother watched as her children laughed and splashed in the shallow water. A group of men stood near the docks, talking with animated gestures. There were deck hands along the creaking wooden dock, who caught ropes that were tossed down and helped guide the ship into port. It took a while for the ship to be declared ready and the ramp to be lowered, but Kurt didn't mind. He was imagining what Blaine's childhood would have been like, growing up here. Would he have played in the water, as the three children were now? Would he have been a deck hand as a young teenager, envisioning his own life on the sea? Would he eventually be one of the men who spoke casually now, and when he left, would he go home to his own family, his own children that he'd tell stories of the vast ocean to?

A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his daydream.

"Hey. You ready?"

Kurt turned his body towards Blaine, who waited with his other hand extended. Kurt nodded and took it, letting Blaine lead him towards the ramp and making sure he made it safely to the dock, where the rest of the crew waited.

"Alright," Blaine announced to everyone now gathered around him, "you all remember what Lord Hath said. I'm going to speak to him now and a letter will be sent to your houses with further details of the next shipment. I've also been told that the lord will send around messengers with your pay for the trip, which you'll be receiving in the next few days. I may or may not be your captain for the next one, but I'd like to say that all of you have proven your worth as accomplished sailors, as far as I'm concerned and I would be proud to have any of you sail with me again, if the opportunity arises. Now go home and get some rest; you all deserve it." Blaine nodded to his crew, who gave words of their thanks and dispersed.

Kurt stepped up next to Blaine as he motioned for him to follow. They walked along, nodding in welcome to the workers on the deck and the civilians they passed. Blaine spoke, looking at him sometimes as he talked, swinging his arms lightly as the breeze began to pick up. "You heard I have to go talk to the lord. I don't know how long I'll be, but is it okay if I have you wait in my house for the time being?"

Kurt told him it was fine, that he had no problem waiting and to take his time, to not worry about him. But he was very excited to see Blaine's home.

"It's not far from here," Blaine commented as they walked along a main road, carved out thinly over years of use. Kurt was perfectly happy just strolling along beside him, taking in everything. They passed small cottages, larger homes, and places that looked like they were just standing up on crumbling walls. This town was so much different than Jeulian, where even the lowly commoners had homes that were at least fit for living in. It was amazing how much a single journey across the ocean could change so much.

Blaine began to slow and dug around in his pocket for a single key on a thin piece of rope. Kurt saw where he was headed and tried to place a mental picture of this home in one glance without seeming odd, just staring. It was a small house, a single window and a plain door greeted them at the entrance. A small slot in the door served as a mailbox. There were shingles missing from the shallowly slanted roof and some of the exterior paint on the house was peeling away. But it didn't look out of place. This home had been lived in and loved, not just made to sit there and look pretty, and there were many memories made here before Blaine had ever taken residence, Kurt could see that in a moment. There were no numbers on this or any of the other houses, no system of organization, just people living in a cramped part of the town, who, like Blaine, were trying to get by.

Blaine inserted the key and turned the faded brass knob, sighing as the door barely budged when he pushed forward. "Sorry," he murmured, pressing harder, "it gets stuck sometimes." He pulled back, turning the knob and pulling forward before pressing his shoulder against the door. It finally gave and he caught himself on the jamb as it opened. He grinned at Kurt, a hint of an apology on his face, but gestured to the open door. "Home sweet home."

Kurt stepped forward and into the dark room. He bent and picked up a small stack of mail that was waiting by where the slot opened up, holding it gingerly in his hands. Blaine followed after him and went around lighting lamps, brightening the room one by one. It was a tiny place, Kurt admitted, but it was only Blaine here, so he didn't need and couldn't afford a larger accommodations.

"I don't have much, but you're welcome to anything here. I know there's water and I think I have some oranges left…" he scrambled around in the small kitchen off from the living room where Kurt waited. A very worn couch stood to the right of Kurt, with a small table in front of that and a lamp beside. There was another window in the kitchen, to the left of the living room, which housed a couple chairs, another small table, a dark fireplace with a hanging copper pot, and a few cupboards. Kurt could see two other rooms adjacent to the living room. One, he supposed was Blaine's bedroom and as he walked up to see better, he noticed that his room held a bed, a faded armoire, a bedside table stacked with books, and a lamp. The other room was a tiny bathroom.

Kurt turned back to Blaine, who shrugged, empty-handed. "We'll have to go to the market today. Hopefully we can get there before it closes. You can take a shower too if you want. Bathroom is through there and I'm afraid we don't have hot water, but it shouldn't be too cold yet because it's mid-spring. And it's freshwater, I promise." He was already walking towards the door. "I'm sorry, Kurt, I really do have to go, but I'll try to be back soon. And anything that's here, it's yours okay?"

Kurt thanked him, watched him go. The door shut easily opposed to the trouble Blaine had had getting it open. He looked around again. The house was small, held the essentials and nothing more, and it was more of a home than Kurt had ever seen. He realized he still held the mail in his hands and set it on the table to explore the rest of the house.

The first place he went was Blaine's bedroom. There was a window here too and it opened out to let the sun in. Faded curtains fluttered in the breeze that brought in the smell of the sea. Kurt's fingers traced the spines of the stacks of books on Blaine's bedside table, which he noticed was uneven on one of the legs and held up with another book. Kurt had never really seen a book before. There weren't a multitude in King Theon's castle that he'd seen and he hadn't had the chance to read them. And if the rare book ended up in the ocean, he stowed it away with his collectables, though the sea destroyed them and made reading anything impossible.

He licked his lips and picked up the first book, reading the title carefully. Curious, he opened up the book and read the first few pages, finding himself sitting down on Blaine's bed to read more. It was fascinating, the stories that could be told that humans created. The merpeople had stories too, but theirs were told aloud, usually at nighttime, and passed down through the generations. He couldn't put the book down, getting lost in the individual tales that were printed there. Each one was its own story, its own little world of make-believe and Kurt imagined kights and princesses and mattresses and frogs and bright colors and a love that lasted through time. When he'd finished the book, he flipped through the pages again and again just to feel the parchment on his hands.

He'd been reading for hours and the sun was much higher in the sky when he got up from Blaine's bed, though he did so reluctantly because his bed was quite comfortable. Definitely a far cry from the bed he'd slept on in King Theon's castle, but this bed smelled of Blaine and that in itself was a comfort. He stretched his body, sore from being in the same position for so long and stood. There was no sign that Blaine was home yet.

He wandered into the bathroom and decided he was going to take Blaine's offer to shower. He left the door slightly cracked open and undressed, placing his clothes neatly on the ground. Remembering Blaine's warning about the water, he stood outside the shower, with the curtain pulled over so as to not drench the floor, and turned the handle. Water immediately began to rain down from the faucet above. He stuck his hand out to test the temperature and waited a bit before the chill went away. Stepping inside, he let the water run over his body, shivering a bit, but not from cold. The water was a pleasant temperature.

There was a bar of soap and a bottle of thick liquid that Kurt assumed was shampoo. He popped open the top and sniffed at it and a smile came to his face. This was what Blaine's hair smelled like. Pouring some out onto his hands, he scrubbed the grime off his hair, grimacing when he realized just how dirty he was and wondering how Blaine could even stand to be near him. He washed off what felt like years of dirt and sweat, feeling so much better when he smelled clean, when he smelled like Blaine. All at once, as he was rinsing his hair, he began to sing. Notes strung together of a wordless song his mother would sing often while she was trying to get him up in the morning. All of the songs mermaids sang, to humans or otherwise, lacked words and the clear, soft melody was something he prided himself in. He hadn't been able to sing confidently in a long time, not since the increasing fear that the humans might hear. But he kept his voice controlled and he felt comfortable here.

**********

Blaine shut the door behind him and immediately went to his room to find a change of clothes. He supposed he should have changed before going to see the lord, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He heard the water running in the bathroom so he'd have to wait to take a shower, but as his hands held a clean shirt, he heard another sound. His ears pricked and he stood up straight, standing very still, as if he were afraid that if he moved, the sound would disappear.

He took his chances and crept towards the bathroom. "Kurt?" he asked, but his voice was very small now. He knew it was Kurt in the bathroom, there was no one else it could be, and there was no mistaking that voice. Blaine was pretty sure that even if he were dead, he would be able to follow the sound of Kurt's beautiful singing voice. And it was beautiful. The song seemed to seep out from the small crack in the doorway and permeate the entire room, gliding along the air and working its way into Blaine's ears and mind and very soul. He licked his chapped lips as he listened, unable to move away, entranced by this song.

He blinked, overcome by the desire to open the door and get closer to him, but he fought it, fought it with every fiber of his being. He was falling in love with Kurt, he knew that. He'd known it for a while, but the way his breath stilled in his body at the very sound of Kurt's voice, the way he felt lightheaded whenever Kurt barely touched him, it had grown stronger.

He backed away now, focusing on the thing that had been out of place when he'd looked in on his bedroom. There was a book on his bed. It was closed, but he thought that Kurt might have read it or at least skimmed it. It was a book he used to read when he was younger, one of the few memories he had of his mother that gave him comfort. The book was full of short fairytales, things he never dreamed could come true, but still looked at often, if only for the memories.

The sound of the water shut off and so did the song and Kurt appeared a short while later, with only a towel wrapped around him. Blaine offered him the bedroom to change in and told him to just pick out what fit best from his own clothes. When he emerged, there were still beads of water dripping from his hair onto his forehead and he was wearing a green shirt that actually went very well with his blue eyes, and a pair of black pants that were too short on him, but he'd rolled them up to the calf to remedy the problem. He smiled at Blaine as he passed to replace the towel in the bathroom, asking, "What did the lord say?"

"Oh, um, not much. He thanked me for taking the journey and asked how it went. There's another shipment he has lined up and he offered it to me if I want to sail for him again, but that's not for two or three weeks depending on when it comes in. I think he might make me captain though, before or after this journey."

Kurt paused in the doorway, a hand on his hip and a smirk on his face that reminded Blaine so much of when they'd first met. "Not much?" he repeated. "Blaine, that's fantastic! I'm so proud of you."

Blaine felt a soft smile curve his lips in gratitude. "I'm going to take a shower and then we can head to the market okay?"

Kurt moved aside and nodded, retreating back to Blaine's bedroom to wait for him and read a bit more.

**********

A few silver pieces and a couple of hours later, they returned from the market with bags full of food. Dumping it all on the rickety table, they began to sort it and work out what they would be eating that night. Kurt was impressed with how much Blaine was able to buy for so little money. When he'd asked about it, Blaine had simply answered, "You learn things when you have to grow up without anything. I'd work at markets like these unloading cargo and in return, I'd get food. But you learn too what people are willing to bargain on. I can get two or three apples for the price of one if they're all a bit bruised, but food's food."

They made a simple soup for their meal and Kurt much preferred eating out of mismatched bowls from Blaine's cupboard than on the fine china at the palace. Everything just seemed to fit here, he felt at home.

Blaine washed the dishes in the sink that Kurt hadn't noticed before and set about putting more coals on the fire that was beginning to cast a warm glow as the sun sank down behind the mountains. Blaine took the time to sit at the table and go through his mail, talking with Kurt in a way that was relaxed and easy. They ended up talking into the night and when he finally declared that they should go to bed, Blaine had to stop Kurt from heading to the couch.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I really should just get rid of that. It's been broken for a while. The middle completely collapsed. It was used when I got it, but I just haven't done anything with it. Gonna cost more to fix than what it's worth."

He pulled him along to his bedroom and tossed one of the two pillows on the floor, along with one of the knitted blankets.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked as he leaned up against the wall. "Are you planning on sleeping on the floor?"

Blaine looked up and laughed, as if the answer was obvious. "Yes."

"Don't do that just because I'm here. You take the bed. I'll take the floor." Kurt reached for the blanket in Blaine's hands, which he promptly tugged away.

"Kurt, really, it's no problem. I want you to have the bed."

"It's your bed. And you just spent three sleepless weeks keeping that ship afloat. You are the one out of the two of us who needs a good night's rest."

"You are my guest and—"

"And I'm flattered, but this isn't—"

"Isn't going to be any worse than what I've slept on before. And you—"

"We're not getting anywhere." Kurt sighed and looked down between them and he had to laugh. Each held a handful of the blanket now stretched out like a rope in a child's game of tug-of-war. "At this rate, we'll end up sleeping standing up."

"I really don't see what's so difficult. Me, floor. You, bed. It makes perfect sense."

Kurt forced his smirk off his face and stared at the bed. It would be a tight fit, but—

"What if we just share the bed?"

Blaine's eyebrows raised as he bundled up the blanket in his arms after Kurt had let go and tilted his head, surveying the option. "That could work. I mean, if… if you don't mind…"

"Blaine," Kurt said gently, taking the blanket from him and spreading it out on the bed, then moving around him to toss the pillow back to where it came from, "I don't mind."

"Great." Blaine said and doused the light when Kurt had curled up under the covers. He felt his way over to the bed, crawling in and getting comfortable in his preferred sleeping position on his stomach. It was a tight fit with both of them on here, but neither minded.

"Goodnight, Kurt," Blaine whispered and closed his eyes, the last thing he saw being Kurt's beautifully lithe and pale form under his blankets.

Kurt was curled on his side, his body pressing against Blaine's shoulder. "Goodnight, Blaine," he said into the darkness around him, the still image of Blaine next to him visible even in the lack of light. And he thought as he closed his eyes and felt the warmth of Blaine against him, he felt more at home here, next to Blaine in this small (slightly chilly now that the sun was asleep) house, than he had anywhere, even on the most expensive of beds in the grandest of castles.


	14. Chapter 14

It's been a week since they arrived in Hali and every morning when he wakes, Blaine finds Kurt next to him. And every morning, he smiles, because this? This he could picture waking up to every day of his life. And that scares him.

Blaine's internal clock wakes him around five A.M. every morning, while Kurt doesn't wake until around a half an hour later. So Blaine takes his time in the wee hours of the morning, letting his eyes adjust to the blur of life after sleep and lays comfortably, wrapped in his warm blankets and, because of the small space, feeling the equally warm temperature of Kurt beside him.

Kurt looks so peaceful when he sleeps and Blaine has to force himself not to stare at him every time he wakes up, because that would be more than a little weird. He allows himself after he wakes up before getting ready for the day. And he spends most of those ten minutes thinking. Mainly about Kurt.

In the grand scheme of things, they haven't known each other that long. It had been a month total. A month since Blaine had seen that sparkling teal tail on the water. A month since Kurt had first spoken to him. A month since Blaine had had what he knew of his world turned upside down.

He'd never really thought that he'd fall in love. The world had taken everything he loved: his parents, his brother, his home, his life. It was too dangerous to attach himself emotionally with something other than his own life. Because it could be taken away in a moment. Despite his own forebodings, he'd fallen in love with the sea and he never really knew why, only that it drew him in like some kind of lure. It wasn't until he met Kurt that he felt he could love another. And it wasn't until he thought about it now, in those peaceful moments before the sun rose, that he realized why he felt so connected to the sea.

He became a sailor because he loved the sea, that was what he'd thought of his whole life. But now, he knew that the true reason he became a sailor was to run. Not in a literal sense, but to constantly be on the move, to never have to stay in one place for too long. Because staying somewhere, making it livable and feeling like a home, had never ended in anything but bitter disappointment for Blaine. To feel this unfamiliar pull towards someone else was terrifying. There was a part of him now that wanted to break away, cut off all contact with Kurt, to not feel like he was being trapped and going to drag Kurt down with him. But another part of him just wanted to latch on and never let Kurt go because he never thought that he could ever be loved in return and even just having Kurt here to talk to and share bits and pieces of his life with, that was enough. If Kurt decided against this whole human thing and jumped in the water tomorrow, never to be seen again, Blaine didn't know what he would feel. Relief, maybe, at the prospect that he wasn't going to be able to hurt anyone else but himself. But mostly, he thought he would feel like a part of himself had been tossed out in the ocean, because Kurt had worked his way into his heart without even meaning to and if he left, Blaine knew he would feel like there was a hole in his chest, right where Kurt should be.

The idea of falling in love with someone after such a short time of knowing that person was daunting to Blaine. He'd heard of 'love at first sight' and laughed at such a thing. He'd always figured that if he would fall in love, it would take root and grow overtime. He never imagined it would be anything like this.

Today, as the world awakened slowly, the thoughts in his head revolved once again around Kurt. But today, he doesn't have much time to think because Kurt jolts awake suddenly and Blaine has to stifle the surprised scream that rises in his throat.

Kurt's clear blue eyes are even wider than normal and he's breathing heavily, the after-effects of a nightmare. Blaine reaches out carefully. "Kurt?"

He relaxes immediately at Blaine's touch and blinks, focusing his eyes to the ones in front of him and sighing. He sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes. Blaine crawls upright and sits next to him, their legs tangled up in the blankets.

"It's… it's okay," Kurt defends softly. "Nightmare."

Blaine strokes his hand softly up and down Kurt's shoulder in a gesture that he would use universally to calm someone down. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Kurt shakes his head, taking a deep breath. Blaine nods understandingly. "I'm going to make coffee if you want some," he says and stands, stretching his sore muscles gratefully before heading out to the kitchen.

Some minutes later, Kurt is perched in one of Blaine's kitchen chairs with his hands curled around a blue mug, the steam from his drink rising up and visible in the clear morning light. One thing Kurt has discovered is that he actually likes coffee, provided there's sugar in it, whereas Blaine now holds a green mug of straight black coffee. Kurt asked in the first days here how Blaine could stand to drink that, but he'd been told with a shrug that it was what he got used to drinking when he had to work very early as a teenager and it woke him up. Plus, it was cheap and easy to make.

Blaine leans against the counter, shifting his mug from hand to hand as he watches Kurt. He has his back mostly turned to him and looks out the open window, staring at the bright blue sea. The image of Kurt staring so wistfully across the land makes something sink within Blaine's mind.

Trying not to invade on this, but needing to, he walks forward and sits in the chair next to Kurt, resting his mug on the table. For a moment, the steam from their drinks rise, shift and swirl almost as one, then a breeze rushes through the window, blowing the steady steam away and off course. Kurt turns to look at him, the light wind picking up pieces of his hair from his casual hairstyle as he does so.

Blaine swallows. "Kurt, there's… there's something I wanted to ask you."

Kurt cocks his head to the side, wondering even before the question is asked. "Okay."

He grips the green mug closer in his hands, never breaking eye contact with Kurt. "Why did you show yourself to me? Why did you talk to me? Sing for me? There must have been hundreds of humans on that shore before me and… why me?"

The blue eyes blink and there's a hint of a smile on Kurt's lips. The answer is given with no hesitation. "Because I knew you were different."

"Different how?"

When Kurt speaks again, it's like when Blaine first spoke with him. He is sure of his words in a way Blaine hasn't heard much of when talking with others and his voice is silky, calm, clear. "Different in every way. I've seen many humans before, but you were different. I knew I could trust you and I knew I wanted to know you, know your way of life, know who you were. You were—are—fascinating and intriguing and beautiful in so many ways. I knew I wasn't afraid to get close to you, to show you who I was, to talk with you. You are someone I trust completely."

Blaine hears his slow breathing and he tries to comprehend this. Kurt-confident, amazing, gorgeous Kurt—thinks all of that. About him.Kurt thought that he was trustworthy and beautiful without ever talking to him. Kurt is looking at him expectantly and leans his elbows on the table, disregarding his mug to the side and leaning closer. He almost looks worried.

"Is that not what you wanted to hear?"

Blaine's words are flustered and he feels himself blush to his ears. "No, no, god no. I just… it's… a lot to… a lot to hear." He pauses and asks, "Do you really feel all that?"

"Of course I do."

Blaine remembers a conversation long ago, drifting through his mind like so many grains of sand.

"You'll be back tomorrow?"

"I think so. I'm finding it very hard to stay away from you, Blaine."

He stared down at his mug of black coffee. "You mean a lot to me, Kurt," he says gently, looking back up at him. He is aware of how close they are and the way the sun shines through the window and lights up his pale features. So beautiful. So very beautiful.

"So do you," Kurt whispers back, his long eyelashes fluttering as he blinks. "I've never felt… this way before."

"Neither have I," Blaine admits, holding Kurt's gaze and aware that he is drifting closer. He wants so badly to kiss him, so badly to have his feelings laid out and returned.

Kurt is quiet and then he speaks, once again so with only truth in his words. "I don't know if I should kiss you."

Blaine lets out a small breath. "I want you to."

"Do you?" And Kurt looks uncertain. Blaine wonders if there's something in his eyes that is making Kurt doubt him.

"More than anything," he whispers and the words are carried by the wind for how small they are.

There is a very brief pause and Kurt leans forward, his eyes on Blaine's, then shifting to look down at Blaine's lips. And Blaine presses his lips to Kurt's, automatically bringing his hand up behind Kurt's head. Blaine feels Kurt still, and then breathe against his mouth, pressing in closer as he closes his eyes and when they pull away, much too soon, Kurt makes a noise like a small whimper.

Even when they part, Blaine's eyes remain closed and he opens them slowly, trying to forever remember the first touch of Kurt's lips on his and the warmth that spread through his entire being. He feels breathless, dizzy, happy.

And it's wrong. It's all wrong.

Blaine's eyebrows draw down a bit and he studies Kurt's face for a slow moment. There's a look on Kurt's face that is almost blissfully happy, and then he catches Blaine's gaze and his face falls a fraction. His eyes shift to disappointment.

"I… I'm sorry," Kurt mutters so softly, looking down and avoiding Blaine's eyes.

"Hey, don't… don't be sorry." Blaine says, reaching out as if to touch Kurt's hand, but at the last moment, he pulls away. And his heart is breaking.

Kurt nods, still not looking at him, then slides his hands around his coffee and pushes back his chair.

Blaine is alone, letting out a deep sigh of pain as he looks out the window and closing his eyes, trying to forget the look on Kurt's face.

*********

"Hey," Blaine says softly. It's the only tone he can bring himself to use. He'd returned from going to visit Lord Hath that day to find Kurt curled up on his bed, the book of children's stories in his hands.

Kurt looks up to where Blaine is standing by the door and he can see the hurt in Kurt's eyes. The corner of his mouth lifts up in a small acknowledging smile.

Blaine rubs the back of his neck, feeling the awkwardness in the air and it kills him that he can't just go up and kiss Kurt like he's aching to. "Lord Hath said the shipment came in early. I was told we have to be ready to sail tomorrow. He's sending out messengers to the rest of the crew."

Kurt just nodded, setting aside his book. "Okay."

"O-okay?"

He nods again. "Yes. Okay."

"Okay."

Blaine is pretty sure that if there were an award for the most tense conversation ever, this would be it. And he knows it's his fault. Heasked Kurt to kiss him, told him he wanted him to, more than anything. And it was true. When he kissed Kurt, it was like he'd been a man dying of thirst and Kurt was the water that saved him. Blaine had never had a kiss like that. The look on Kurt's face when Blaine had first opened his eyes told him that Kurt had had the same feeling too. But Blaine couldn't let it happen. He just couldn't.

"Well, umm… I'll just get lunch started then, okay?"

Kurt nods. "Okay."

"Right," Blaine mutters, feeling like the world's worst person as he leaves for the kitchen, trying not to think about what tomorrow will bring and the way his heart is slowly smoldering into ash.


	15. Chapter 15

If Kurt had to sum up the journey overseas, he would have said that it was quiet. He stayed in his bunk at night and only talked to Jeff if he wasn't exhausted (which hardly ever happened). During the day, he wandered out on the ship and helped with what little no-experience-needed jobs he could. Every morning, Blaine would stand up on the deck and talk with Wes. What they said was a mystery to Kurt, who often placed himself opposite from where Blaine was if he could help it, and he tried not to feel hurt.

Blaine had said that he wanted Kurt to kiss him, but that was painfully obvious that it wasn't true. Maybe he felt sorry for him and thought it would make him feel better. But it didn't matter. Because the look on Blaine's face when he'd opened his eyes was enough for Kurt to know that he didn't feel the same way that Kurt felt about him.

They avoided each other, sometimes on purpose, but mainly without realizing it. As though their bodies were so in-tune with each other that they knew when the other would walk around the corner and they would unconsciously feel a need to go over to the other side of the deck before the other even appeared.

And it was a lonely trip, Kurt admitted to himself, and he was used to being alone. But now that he had spent time with Blaine, he felt the ring of silence a lot more than he used to. He had learned some of Blaine's habits, like the way he drummed his fingers on his thigh when he was thinking and the way he knocked on any door in two short raps and how, after he was so tired he could hardly speak coherently, he snored as he slept.

And Kurt missed him. He missed the easy way they talked and the comforting silence when they were alone together. He missed the feel of Blaine's shoulder against his as they slept. He missed it, the way they were, so much. It was almost debilitating, the way that Kurt felt so strongly towards Blaine after knowing him for not long at all. To feel this way and not have any control over it and to lose that so suddenly? It hurt more than he cared to admit.

Kurt spent a lot of time watching the stars at night. It was a quiet place, where he could just listen to the ocean and try to think of where he went wrong. It was the only time he let himself show any other signs of being upset. Otherwise, he put on a smile and carried on, ignoring Blaine and ignoring too the hurt it caused. He didn't want to make him upset by being near him if he didn't want that. But Kurt did want it. And he often wondered how long it would be until his heart stopped aching.

As the shores of Jeulian were visible on the horizon, the ache still prevailed, but Kurt had learned to keep it at bay. He hadn't spoken a single word to Blaine since they boarded the ship and hardly looked at him. He felt empty, like he needed Blaine's smile as much as he needed air. And in the unseen glances that had passed between them, Kurt hadn't seen Blaine smile the whole three weeks at sea.

When they docked and cargo was hauled off the ship as usual, Kurt pitched in however he could and maybe it was because he was feeling so down that it seemed to take twice as long as usual. The sun was high in the sky, eliminating all traces of the early-morning fog, when they gathered along the dock as rooming assignments were read out by one of the king's men. Kurt fidgeted nervously as they went down the list and pairs began to head to their assigned living quarters and his heart jumped when he realized he was the only one left. He looked around, noticing only Blaine standing very still, a few feet away from him. Blaine stared straight at the small man with the scroll in his hand. Kurt was going to have to room alone and he was okay with that. He was used to being alone.

The small man cleared his throat and Kurt was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he almost missed what was said. "And sailor Kurt Hummel rooming with Captain Blaine Anderson in the guest quarters. The same room as usual Captain."

Kurt's head shot up and his breath caught in his throat. What?

He glanced at Blaine, who nodded to the man. "Thank you. I trust the room has been arranged as I asked?"

"Yes, sir. And if you should need anything else, do let any of the servants know." The man rolled up the scroll and gave Blaine a farewell nod, turned on his heel, and made his way back to the stairs, where the king would surely have been watching to make sure his cargo was safely delivered.

Blaine began to walk in the direction of his room and Kurt had no choice but to follow. Kurt's heart hammered in his chest the entire way and when they reached their destination, the words burst form Kurt's lips because he couldn't contain them anymore.

"There has to be some mistake. I don't—"

"There's no mistake," Blaine said calmly and unlocked the same door with the same small key that Kurt remembered seeing last time. He held open the door and waited for Kurt to go through.

He didn't know what else to do, so he went inside, noticing that the room was the same as he'd last seen it, only now, there was another bed, furnished just as lavishly as the other. Once they were both inside and the door was shut and the lamps flickered softly, Kurt turned to Blaine.

"I don't understand."

Blaine looked up from where he was running a hand over the smooth surface of the bedside table. His voice is quiet and unsure and his eyes hold some emotion that Kurt did not understand. "Kurt, I don't think we should—"

"No," he insists, eyes beginning to blaze. "You don't talk to me at all, you hardly even look at me for three weeks and then… and then you want to share a room with me? I did… exactly what you asked me to and I wanted to and I would have stopped if you didn't want me to kiss you, but you said you did and then you… you looked so… disappointed and I'm sorry if I can't be what you want, Blaine. I'm sorry if I'm not good enough for you but you have to know that I feel something for you, something I never thought I'd feel, and there is no way that you didn't know." His voice is beginning to crack in his desperation, and after holding all of this in for three weeks, he can't bring himself to care. "If you don't want me here, you only have to say so. Because being human right now doesn't matter to me. You matter to me and I don't want to keep hurting the both of us if you don't want to be around me."

Kurt let out a long breath and kept his gaze steady. Blaine's eyes met his and he was surprised to see the shine in those hazel irises, the flickering candle lights glimmering in his glance.

"Well?" Kurt huffed, the emotion draining out of him quickly.

Blaine's mouth opened slightly, closed, then he blinked a few times. "Kurt, I…" he began, and his voice was so quiet in the low light that danced around the room. He sighed and sat on the bed, gesturing for Kurt to join him. He did so without thought and bent his long legs up to his chest, resting his head on his knees. Blaine turned his head and spoke softly, as if some large burden had taken away his strength. "You mean so much to me, Kurt. So, so much. And I… I know I've been… ignoring you and being a jerk and I am so sorry. I just… I didn't want to hurt you and I know now that I did and I feel terrible. It's just…"

He paused and Kurt took a breath, looking at his knees before meeting Blaine's eyes again.

"I've never felt this way about anyone before and to be honest, I thought I never would. But I met you and… everything changed. Everything is different now and it's because of you and I did want you to kiss me."

"Then why did you… look that way? After I kissed you? Why did you ignore me?"

He took a shaky breath, the silence lingering before the truth became too much and it burst from his lips in a rush. "Because I don't want to lose you."

Kurt's eyebrows pulled down and his mouth gaped. "What?"

"You…" Blaine ran a hand through his hair, a common habit when he was nervous or looking for the right words. "I want to be with you, I've wanted it since we met and it just seemed like things were happening so fast, the way I felt about you. But I've never felt anything towards anyone the way I feel about you. And I want that chance to be with you and to make you happy and to be yours, if you would have me. But it won't work." He said softly, casting his eyes down to avoid the pain that he was sure would be in Kurt's eyes as he hurt him for a second time. "One day you're going to want to go back. I can't keep you here, with me, not when every day I'm falling for you and to know that you're staying because of me. I can't be selfish and want you because you are everything I didn't know I wanted—needed—but… I'm a human, Kurt. And you're a merman, in your heart. You don't… you don't belong here."

"I belong with you." The quiet words tumbled off his lips in a way that maybe they'd always meant to.

"Kurt, you can't. I won't let you. I won't let you throw away your life for me."

"It doesn't matter." Kurt held his gaze again, hands reaching out and grasping Blaine's. "I wasn't happy there. But I am happy with you. I'm happy here. I've never felt more alive and free and able to be me than I do when I'm with you in my entire life under the sea. I have a little more than two months left. And I'd give anything for just one more day with you."

"Kurt…" Blaine whispered in strained need, the utter want and hope clear in his broken voice.

The dancing light shined in Kurt's eyes, making the brilliant blue shimmer and sparkle. His long eyelashes fluttered as he blinked once, keeping his gaze locked onto Blaine's as if it were the first time he'd ever seen him. Blaine tightened his hands in Kurt's, feeling the soft skin of Kurt's fingers brush against the back of his hand. And he exhaled softly, leaned forward and captured Kurt's lips in a kiss. Kurt froze, unmoving for a moment, and then he sighed gently and relaxed into the kiss, bringing his hands up and lightly pressing his palms to Blaine's face. The tenseness of earlier dissipated as easily as the thin swirls of fog in the morning sun. They were meant to be together. They were made for each other.

Their lips parted and their eyes opened and in that one moment, everything had changed. This is what it feels like, Blaine thought dizzily,to be in love and to be loved.

"Kurt," Blaine whispered again, bringing his hand up and softly stroking Kurt's cheek. There was a fuzzy warmth filling his veins, a happiness bubbling inside him that he'd never known.

Kurt's long eyelashes moved again as he blinked and asked, "Is this what love feels like?"

Blaine couldn't help but smile, couldn't help but wonder if he'd never stop smiling. "I think so," he said. "I would hope that love feels like this."

Kurt cocked his head to the side a bit and Blaine could tell he was thinking. "Like how?"

"Like home," he whispered and gently touched his lips to Kurt's cheek.

Kurt had to leave eventually. He knew that. He thought that they both knew that, as adamant as Kurt was to stay. And it killed him inside to want to be with him, to know that Kurt wanted him in return, and to have to know that they couldn't be together, not forever. But they could for a little while.

They pressed their foreheads together, savoring this moment and both not thinking about what was to come. They would take their time together as it came, day by day, until they were forced to part.

And as Blaine lay in bed that night, listening to Kurt's gentle breaths from the other bed, he let his eyes close regretfully and he dreamed of a life where they could be together for the rest of their days. Blaine knew in his heart that Kurt belonged to the sea, the same way he belonged on land. It wasn't fair for either of them to put each other through the pain if they couldn't stay together. But it hurt almost as much to not try, not after what was made so obvious that their feelings were so strong and their hands and lips fit together as if they were made for each other. The gentle pull of needing to do what was right and wanting to do what he knew could not last grew stronger as Blaine slept, meshing into his fitful dreams. He tossed and turned that night, as restless as the sea itself.

If you love something, let it go. If it returns to you, it is yours. If it doesn't, it never was.


	16. Chapter 16

The sun was pounding down in the late afternoon, and many of Jeulian's residents were taking advantage of the weather and spending it outside, Kurt and Blaine included. Ladies in dresses and large hats stood barefoot in the sand along the beach that Kurt and Blaine had claimed a small spot of, and they watched equally barefoot children run through the shallow waters. Men stood by, some with their pants rolled to their calves and holding the hands of their children who were too small to go in the water alone.

Kurt sat on a blanket a safe distance away from the water, holding his hand up to shade his eyes from the sun. He smiled when Blaine came into his line of vision, further towards the water, with his back to him. Blaine wore an old pair of pants that he'd cut to stop at the calf and no shirt. The way the sun reflected off his tanned back was glorious. He was bent over something and concentrating with his hands moving about. Blaine was clearly a sailor, anyone could see that, with his tan and his broad developed shoulder, arm, and back muscles, and if anyone shook his hand, they would feel the calluses that had built up from years of working on a ship. And he was perfect.

Kurt bit his lip. Things had gone back to about as normal as they could be in the days following their talk, where they confessed their feelings. But for Kurt, it didn't feel exactly… real. Oh, the feeling was real, there was no doubt about that and he knew now that Blaine felt the same way, but it just seemed like something was missing. Kurt knew that Blaine was anxious in knowing that he had to go back to the sea eventually and Kurt would be lying if he said he didn't feel the same way. He wanted every moment he could get with Blaine, with the man he loved, even if those moments were barely concealed by doubt and fear for the future. They managed to keep it at bay for now, even though they both knew that it would have to end in a time that would come way too quickly. They'd agreed to enjoy everything they could together and today was beach day.

"Kurt!"

He blinked and came back to reality to see Blaine turning back to face him with a huge grin on his face. His hands were covered in the dark water-soaked sand that stuck to his skin. With a grand gesture, he moved away and revealed a sand castle. Kurt smiled and got up, making sure his blanket wouldn't be blown away by the slight winds. Blaine had built the castle near the water to take full advantage of the thick sand that held like glue, but Kurt supposed he could get close to the water for this.

A smile filled Kurt's face before he stopped in front of the castle and he had to bite back a laugh. The structure was crudely built, though it had four walls and four towers, complete with sticks as flags, but one look would not have been enough to distinguish it as a castle. The sagging third tower could not support the lump of sand acting as a lookout point that was stuck on the top of a too-small base and was melting like cake batter into the ground. There was a thin crevice dragged all the way around the castle that Kurt supposed was an attempt at a moat, though this first thought was that Blaine was sure to have plenty of sand under his nails now.

Blaine rubbed at the back of his head as he watched Kurt survey his work and said with a laugh, "Well, I tried."

Kurt turned to him, the smile still on his face. "I think it's adorable."

Blaine smiled too, though it was short-lived. His face fell as a large wave rushed up suddenly, sending Kurt trampling back as Blaine snatched him around the waist to pull him out of harm's way. The water devoured Blaine's castle and sucked some of it out to sea, leaving behind a lump of sand with a single stick poking diagonally out of an eroded turret.

Blaine let out a slow breath as he gently set Kurt down and asked him if he was alright. When Kurt nodded, he relaxed and followed Kurt's gaze, where he was staring sadly at the ruined castle.

"I'm sorry about your castle," he said, looking back up at Blaine. "It was very grand."

Blaine smiled, linking his arm tighter around Kurt's waist. "You don't have to flatter me. It sucked. But it was fun to make." He nudged his shoulder into Kurt's.

"Oh, but you would make a lovely designer."

"Now you're just being funny."

"Maybe a little."

Blaine chuckled, a soothing sound, and Kurt's eyes rested again on the mound of sand. There was a piece of seaweed that had gotten caught around the remaining stick and fluttered once in a gust of warm wind.

And he knew what was missing, what he'd been thinking of all along but hadn't remembered.

Blaine turned to him, concern in his eyes. His hand moved as if he wanted to cup Kurt's cheek, but he second-guessed himself and lowered his arm to rest on Kurt's forearm instead. "Are you okay?"

Kurt realized he'd been staring at the ocean and what that must look like to him. He blinked a few times and smiled at him, hoping to dispel his slight distress, the sun lighting up Blaine's face even when darkened with worry. Kurt reached up to gently smooth out the lines that had appeared in his forehead and ran his hand once through Blaine's salt-stiff curls. "I'm here with you. And I'm perfect."

**********

That night, when Blaine had crawled into bed, Kurt announced that he was going to take a walk. Blaine's eyes had narrowed a bit and when asked why, Kurt simply said he felt like getting some air. He'd refused Blaine's offer to accompany him and he felt a bit bad when he realized that Blaine seemed a bit hurt that he didn't want him there.

"It's just for a little bit. I'll be back before you fall asleep."

"Oh. Well… well, be careful okay?"

Kurt had felt the smile form on his lips because Blaine was worried about him and it was adorable and flattering. "I will."

And now he was standing at the base of the stairs that led to the beach, staring up at the looming ship that sat further down from where he stood. He took a deep breath, letting the cool night air tinged with the taste of salt fill his lungs. He knew why Blaine loved it out here at night. The sky was beautiful, dotted with stars, and he wished he could stay but he had a job to do.

The tide was low tonight and the earlier higher tides had washed up plenty of seaweed along the shore. Kurt hummed to himself as he went about, gathering strands of the slimy weeds and even picking up a few small shells. The exterior of the shells glittered in the moonlight and he hoped they would have the desired effect.

Once he'd gathered his needed items, he sat back against a rock and used the moonlight to see by, listening to the sounds of the calm sea. His hands moved quickly as he stripped the seaweed into long strands and strung them out by color, ranging from vibrant green to dark emerald to almost black. He was grateful for the time he'd helped Rachel construct her own bracelet because not only did it help him be able to help Finn with his, but now he was able to make his own. His fingers twisted, looped, wove the weeds into a winding pattern, threading it every now and then with a small shell.

He smiled when he finished, holding the bracelet gently in his palm and then closed his fingers around it as he stood and walked back to the room.

*********

When Blaine woke the next morning, he glared at Kurt's sleeping form. He was angry at Kurt for leaving and not telling him when he was going to be back, but he realized with a sigh that his anger was misdirected. He was angry at himself for falling asleep in the first place.

He'd tried to stay awake, he had, and he knew that he really had no place keeping Kurt's whereabouts on hand every moment of the day like a child. Kurt had left his home because he wanted to escape the feeling of being trapped and Blaine wasn't about to make him feel that way with him. He sighed and stretched, wrapping the blankets around him to keep out the chill of the morning as he sat up.

Kurt inhaled and opened his eyes slowly, licking his lips as he woke.

"Good morning," Blaine said with a soft smile.

Kurt's lips twitched into his own smile and he sat up too. "Good morning to you too."

Blaine stretched his arms over his head and asked, "So where did you go last night?"

The smile on Kurt's face fell a fraction and in that second, he looked nervous. And Blaine caught onto it in a heartbeat.

"What happened? Did… are you…" Blaine didn't know what he thought Kurt might be, but anything that was less than perfect was worrisome. He didn't want any more disappointment in Kurt's life if he could help it.

Kurt pursed his lips and then reached over to the bedside table, his long fingers clasping over something Blaine hadn't noticed. He held the object in his hands and toyed with it in his lap. It was hard to tell what it was, but Blaine was more focused on Kurt's face to really look at what he held.

"Kurt?"

"I want to give you something and I've never done it before so I'd like you to just listen and not say anything until I'm done, okay?"

Kurt looked up for confirmation and Blaine nodded wordlessly, keeping the unspoken promise of silence.

Kurt took a soft breath and spoke, his eyes mainly trained on his knees or darting slowly around the room, looking at everything but Blaine, as if he were afraid of his reaction. "There's a tradition in Tras, I'm not sure how long it's been going on but it's been a tradition for a very long time, and honestly, I never thought I'd have anyone to partake in it with. Illuminene S'ayrea." Kurt spoke this in a voice that was silky and smooth like honey, beautiful to Blaine's ears even if he had no idea what language it was. As if reading his mind, Kurt elaborated, "It's a long lost language of the merpeople. The name just stuck and the meaning was interpreted. We take it to mean 'Heart of Light,' essentially meaning where you are no longer bound to yourself and your own needs but when you truly love another and open your heart and yourself to them completely, your own needs become second. You would do anything for the one you love, the one you care for, no matter the cost. It means that you give yourself and all you have with no thought anymore of your own desires or worries. When two hearts find each other in a vast sea, or land," he smiled, "and you know that this is the person you will eternally love and cherish, you make a promise. The meaning has evolved of course. Now it's taken less seriously and boyfriends or girlfriends given them to each other to show that they are together. I think it's sad though. Who knows how many years this tale has been told and to treat it so lightly? I helped Rachel make hers for Finn. And I helped Finn with Rachel's. Traditionally it's a bracelet, but it can be anything from a necklace to a hairpiece to earrings or whatever you want really as long as the promise is there." He took a deep breath and looked into Blaine's eyes.

Blaine had been transfixed by Kurt's story, letting his eyes stray down to the object Kurt kept twirling in his hands. But now he lifted his gaze.

Kurt stilled his hands and hooked the object around one finger, holding it up. His eyes flitted nervously, but he kept Blaine in his sight. "I want you to have it. My 'Heart of Light.'"

Blaine was aware that he probably looked like a fish out of water, with his mouth open and the words caught in his throat. Kurt glanced at him again, eyes full of a half-hidden hope, as if he was afraid to let himself believe that Blaine might want this too.

"Kurt," Blaine breathed and it really was all he could say. He didn't think that this would make him the way it did. "I don't know what to say. It's… That's… Do you mean that? What the bracelet stands for?"

"Every word of it," Kurt whispered, his hand staying still in the air beside him in his offering. "Will you wear it?"

"Of course I will," Blaine replied with every ounce of feeling coursing through his veins.

A smile broke out on Kurt's face and he immediately got up and dropped to his knees in front of Blaine, taking a hand and gently tying the bracelet on Blaine's wrist, where it rested slightly loose against the back of his hand. Blaine held up his hand to better see Kurt's gift, Kurt's promise, around his wrist. The seaweed had dried during the night, shrinking the woven pieces together and forming a tight interlocking formation of knots and braids. The shells still sparkled in the low light, exactly what Kurt wanted. Blaine blinked in fascination.

"Kurt, it's beautiful," he said, tearing his eyes away and looking down at him, still on his knees and watching Blaine intently. "Thank you."

A gentle smile graced Kurt's face, lighting up his features as his eyes shone. "Do you like it?"

Blaine pressed his right hand to Kurt's cheek, letting the bracelet shift. Kurt's skin was warm against his hand and Kurt leaned into Blaine's touch immediately without thought and without hesitance, perfectly comfortable. "I love it," he whispered and held Kurt's shining blue gaze. "I love you."

He leaned down as Kurt moved his other hand to Blaine's knee and stretched up from where he stayed on his knees. His left hand brushed along Kurt's neck, up to his hair, where he cupped the back of Kurt's head as he pressed their foreheads together. Kurt slid his other hand up to Blaine's wrist, stopping enough below his wrist to feel the bracelet there. He looked up, so close to Blaine he felt he could see every speck of gold that flecked in his hazel eyes. "I love you," he replied, amazed at how easy it was. The words rolled off his tongue without having to think about it, knowing that he meant every syllable with every fiber of his being.

They knew this would complicate things. Having so their feelings laid out bare in the open, knowing it couldn't last… it was almost as bad as trying to ignore the way they felt. Both options left someone (or both) hurting but it was so hard to not even try to be together when everything just felt right. And when their lips met and Blaine tightened his hand in Kurt's hair and Kurt stroked his thumb against the inside of Blaine's wrist, neither one of them wanted to pretend like this wasn't real, like their lives weren't changed forever.

They pulled away, keeping so close, just to hear the other breathe. Blaine finally pulled Kurt up with him and they sat together on Blaine's bed, holding each other close.

After a while, the silence was broken by a hesitant question.

"Are… would it be okay… the bracelet… Can I… make one for you?"

Kurt lifted his head to look at Blaine. "You want to?"

"More than anything."

Kurt smiled. "I would be honored."

And Blaine returned his smile, eager and an idea already forming in his head.


	17. Chapter 17

Blaine held the newly finished bracelet in his palm, running his fingers over the thin rope that he'd twisted together. It was reminiscent of the many ropes that held the sails together on his ship and where Kurt's gift was made with items from the sea, Blaine took inspiration from the land.

He'd spent most of the day making it, starting with the rough rope he bought and coated with a thin layer of wax to make it smooth. Finding the things to put on it was a bit harder, but he sat with his back to the wall of rock near the stairs by the sea and hoped that ideas would come to him. He'd always been able to think more clearly when he was close to the ocean, especially now, as the chill-tainted wind blew, salty and damp, across his face.

Licking the taste of salt off his lips, he stared out at the clear ocean. But there was a storm coming. A big one, he could tell by the slight toss of the sea and the hint of darkest grey on the horizon. He'd been wrong before about the weather of course and he just hoped that it was just his mind playing with his thoughts. There was no storm warning and as long as there continued to be clear skies, they would sail back to Hali tomorrow as planned.

He closed his eyes, turning his face towards the sun, and let out a long breath. And he looked down at the bracelet again, an idea forming clear in his mind. There were thousands of items he could put on Kurt's bracelet, but he wanted them to mean something, just as the bracelet itself meant a promise. One thing that always fascinated Blaine about Kurt was his skin, pale and silky and gorgeous. And his eyes. His eyes were beautiful in so many ways, the way the light could bring out different shades of blue and even sparkling pale green when seen in the right amount of light.

And he knew. He got up, beginning the walk down to the beach while placing the unfinished bracelet carefully in his pocket. With the sand under his feet, he walked along, straying close to the water and plucking out shells that caught his eye. The ones that did not meet his requirements were tossed back in the waves and the few that fit what he was looking for stayed clasped in his cupped hand. He had a small handful of suitable shells when he'd finished and walked back to his room.

He passed Kurt along the way, who lay on the grass on his stomach and took the opportunity to soak up the sun, thumbing his way through some of the books he'd found in the room. He didn't really read much, but it was satisfying in its own way to just feel the books in his hands and flip through page by many page. Blaine waved at him and mentioned that it would be best not to go in the room for a little bit. Kurt waved back and smiled, content to stay where he was.

Blaine shut the door and immediately moved to the desk, where he opened a drawer and pulled out a small glass jar. Colors danced inside like they were alive, sparkling when he held them up to the light and searched inside for the color he wanted. He tipped the jar open and poured a few in his hand, running his fingers over the smooth pieces of colored glass. As silly as it sounded, these small tokens brought him great joy. One of his earliest memories of his parents was walking along the beach by their home and trying to find the 'treasures of the sea.' When he got older, he was amused by the way glass, sharp and bright, could become something utterly beautiful when tumbled about by the ocean. And it gave him comfort and joy to take some pieces he'd collected over the years with him, wherever he knew he would be staying. Greens, blues, reds, oranges, the colors shimmered over his palm and he picked through them, looking for those that were the palest of green or the brightest of bright blue. For his efforts, he came up with three, two blue, one green, and he sat down and began to incorporate them into the rope strands. When he was finished, he held the bracelet in his hand, comparing it to the one that lay on his wrist and he smiled, proud of his work and proud that he was able to give it to the person he loved.

When he emerged from the room, he noticed Kurt still on his stomach, humming as he looked at the pages of a red leather bound book in front of him. He looked up as Blaine approached, abandoning his reading as it was clear Blaine had something to say.

Blaine sat cross-legged next to Kurt and grinned.

"Someone's happy," Kurt commented. "The sea cleared your mind?"

Blaine nodded. "It did more than that." He held out the bracelet, grinning wider at Kurt's soft gasp. "It gave me what I needed to finish this."

He placed his gift around Kurt's right wrist, securing it and let go, watching the expression on Kurt's face change to a myriad of emotions.

"My heart belongs to you," he whispered, suddenly shaky in his words. "Please accept it."

Kurt looked up at him with wide eyes, away from the soft rope, the pale as milk seashells and the blue and green glass pieces that seemed to glow from within. "Of course I will."

Blaine smiled gently and held Kurt's hand in his own. "What do the merpeople say of those who give these promises to each other?"

"They say that the couple is blessed with a bond stronger than love that cannot be broken."

Blaine pressed a kiss to Kurt's forehead at his softly spoken words. "Seems fitting," he said with a laugh, though it held an undertone of anger.

"And why is that?" Kurt asked gently.

Blaine paused before answering, tightening his grip on Kurt's hands. "Because soon, that bond is all we're going to have."

The corner of Kurt's mouth lifted a bit and sadness filled his eyes. "We'll find a way. Something. I won't let you be taken away from me, not when I just found you."

Blaine couldn't bring himself to say anything else, simply leaned his forehead against Kurt's and closed his eyes, linking their fingers together and living in this moment because it hurt too much to think of the very near future.

*********

Swathed in their dressing clothes that held too much frill for either of their taste, Kurt and Blaine sat across from each other at the last of the king's dinners. And since this was the last before their departure, it was the grandest. And the most tedious. Neither man wanted to be there, least of all while feeling like they might as well be wearing the curtains for all the silk and lace of their borrowed outfits. Though Kurt had to admit that the darkest brown of Blaine's vest brought out his eyes and Blaine would be lying if he said that he didn't think Kurt's skin was gorgeous in his sapphire blue suit jacket.

The one good thing was that the large dining hall was so filled with people (most of whom Blaine wasn't even sure the king knew by name) and chatter that they could talk without fear of being overheard. And they had both shown up, which in itself was a thing to be celebrated. Blaine took another swallow of his wine. The goblet Kurt held in his hand was mainly for show. Wine wasn't on his list of favorite things to drink, but he sipped it when it seemed appropriate and no one bothered them.

They were currently sitting in comfortable silence, eyes dragging over the scenes around them and stealing too-long glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. Kurt set down his glass, moved his fork around what was left of his dessert. It was some kind of white cake with a soft white frosting and a pink flower on the top, which, to his surprise, Blaine told him he could eat. Even on land, where things were so different than he could have ever imagined, but so much more than he could have ever wanted, Kurt wasn't about to make a habit of eating flowers. He did try a petal though. Just one, mainly to watch Blaine's expression. Blaine had a way of making him feel like he was the most important person in the world. The way he'd look at him sometimes, it was as if Kurt was telling him the secret to life happiness. In just a single glance, Kurt wondered how it was that Blaine was so perfect. It was if they had been made for each other, spending so many years thinking they needed more than what they had found. When they had only needed to wait a bit longer, and they'd found each other.

But time was running out so fast. Kurt would give anything to be able to be with Blaine for a very long time. It felt as though they were trying to cram years worth of a relationship into the few remaining weeks they had left. And it did feel a bit like they were being cheated of a 'proper' relationship, but in all honesty, all Kurt wanted was to be able to be with Blaine in the way that felt right. They'd shared small touches, nothing inappropriate, but that Blaine would rest his hand on Kurt's thigh when they talked at night or Kurt would rest his head on Blaine's shoulder or let his hands linger a bit too long on Blaine's chest after he straightened his collar. And maybe they were both feeling the pressure.

Their kisses became more urgent, more heated, more like they needed the other's touch to breathe. And when their legs wound together as they pulled each other closer on the bed at night, it seemed like everything they had ever wanted. Except that it was going to end much too soon.

Sometimes they kissed lazily, feeling out the curve of the other's cheekbones and mapping the smoothness of the other's lips, memorizing every crevice to be touched and every surface to be brushed against.

And maybe they were moving too fast. But neither one could bring themselves to care. They were living in every moment, trying to not think about what it meant when another sunset gave rise to another night. That their time together was dwindling. In a way it felt like a dream and one day, they would wake up and all of this would be a distant memory, a dream that they would try to recall and never would be able to.

They hadn't made their relationship public; there was no need to on this land because no one would ever remember either of them (with the exception of King Theon who might remember Blaine because of the job he was given). No one here would even notice the absence of the fair-skinned, blue-eyed man when one day soon, he vanished as though he'd never been alive. And Blaine's crew would forget, eventually. It would all fade away, every moment they'd ever spent together gone with time, where only their memories would serve them as a reminder that what they'd had was real.

And maybe it was this train of thought that furrowed Kurt's brow, filled his eyes with a mist, and made Blaine lean over and place his hand on Kurt's as he asked, "Hey, are you alright?"

Kurt blinked and looked up, tearing his gaze away from the swirling dark red wine in Blaine's glass that he'd been transfixed by. Would that be what it felt like? To walk into the sea when his time on land was up? Would it feel like instead of walking into the clear blue ocean, he was wading out into his own blood-tainted hell? He'd found Blaine and he would not—could not—imagine a life without him.

"I'm… I'm fine," he replied, shaking his head of the vision of the rust-colored water splashing onto the rocks as he prepared to dive.

"You don't look fine," Blaine persisted gently. "Is something wrong?"

And a thought shifted across his mind. It heated his face up to even think about it and he supposed he was embarrassed, but if there was anyone on land or sea he felt he could ask, it would be Blaine. He took a quick glance around them, but of course there was no one close enough to be within earshot. Feeling himself turn red up to his ears, he raised his eyes, keeping his voice low.

"Whatdoyouknowaboutsex?" he said in a rush, practically spitting the words.

Blaine's eyebrows drew together. "Sorry," he said, leaning forward. "What did you say?"

Kurt licked his lips, taking a breath and trying to get the words out in a coherent form. "What do you know about sex?" he asked slower, though he felt a fresh wave of heat flood his face.

The questioning look on Blaine's face softened and he blinked and Kurt swore he saw something flash in his eyes. "What do you want to know?"

"Umm, well… anything really." Kurt's eyes darted around again, but no one had paid them any attention.

Kurt was a bit surprised to see that Blaine's face didn't change much, that there was no embarrassment or hesitance at the question. Blaine sat up straighter and leaned forward, absently playing with the string of his bracelet. "How much do you know about it?" he asked, completely at ease and waiting patiently for Kurt's answer.

"Well… umm…" Kurt wracked his brain but he'd never really had any reason to think about it. "Nothing," he said, feeling quite small and uninformed.

A calming smile was on Blaine's face. "Don't be embarrassed. Really, it's natural to think about." Blaine looked around them. The servants were coming along to pick up the dessert plates and offer after-dinner drinks. "I don't think we'll be missed. Do you want to talk elsewhere?"

Kurt nodded gratefully, glad that no one seemed to notice his change in face color. He didn't remember ever being embarrassed that made him flush. The skin of the merpeople stayed the same pale shade from when they were born to when they died, making them intriguing to the humans who seemed to value the shade that was reminiscent of a pearl.

With the cool air on them under the dark sky filled with stars, Blaine held out his hand in offering, which Kurt took and they continued back, hand in hand. When they were curled up on Blaine's bed and changed into their pajamas (much more comfortable than their fancy dinner attire), Blaine began where they'd left off.

"How much do you want to know?"

Kurt swallowed, his throat suddenly seeming very dry. "E-everything, I guess."

Blaine nodded. "Okay. Well, it's… it's a way to connect with the person you love. It's more than just the act of sex itself, well at least that's how I see it. I guess you could compare it to the promise of the bracelets? The meaning is becoming less associated with what it was meant for and more for fun. I'm not saying that sex isn't fun," he said with a laugh, "but I think that there should be a promise, a real promise, associated with it too."

Kurt nodded, letting his teeth pull over his bottom lip as he listened, thinking and trying to understand. "What does it feel like?"

Blaine paused here, opening his mouth and then closing it. His hand ran along his bracelet again. "When done right, it feels amazing. It's…" he paused again, choosing his words carefully. "Sex… it's different though than making love. The two are often meant to mean the same thing, but making love is more… there's more to it than just sex. It's the greatest thing two lovers can do because you're essentially giving yourself to another person, you trust them completely, and you know that they trust you with everything they have and everything they are. This could be subjective, but making love is the greatest act two people can share with one another. It can be love on the deepest level, when two people are wanting to show the other…" he licked his lips, "it's a way… of… of telling the other without words 'you're my everything and I give everything I am to you.'" He ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry if that was confusing. Did… did it help though?"

Kurt let the words wash over him. He nodded. "Yes, it did." He studied Blaine's face, stared into his eyes and Blaine held his gaze. Kurt wondered if it was the light that was making Blaine's eyes seem so dark.

"Have you ever had sex?" Kurt asked, surprising himself at the question but he figured he might as well ask.

And Blaine looked down, his shoulders shifting in a slight motion as he smiled and then looked back up, meeting Kurt's gaze. "Yes, I have." A pause, then, "But I've never made love."

Kurt felt the heat rush up to his face again. "O-oh. Okay." He looked down, willing the heat to stop spreading.

He could hear Blaine's swallow and then a cool hand pressed to his face and forced him gently to look up.

"Are you okay, Kurt?"

Maybe it was the way his blood was rushing in his ears that made him think Blaine's voice sounded shaky.

He nodded, so small he wasn't even sure he'd actually nodded, looking into Blaine's eyes and feeling his heart thud so loudly in his chest.

Blaine's hand threaded around to the back of Kurt's head and he leaned in, pressing a kiss firmly to his lips. Kurt's mouth opened automatically to allow him in and when Blaine's tongue traced along his bottom lip and dipped into his mouth, it still sent a shiver down his spine. Kurt brought his hands to Blaine's sides, ran them up along his ribs and back down, as he pushed back against Blaine, but let his head fall back as Blaine pressed kisses to his lips over and over. Kurt's hands gripped at the fabric of Blaine's pajama top, feeling the sleeves of his own shirt slide down around his forearms, and he dragged his teeth gently along Blaine's bottom lip. Blaine shivered and a soft moan was drawn from his throat.

Maybe it wasn't the light or the blood rushing in Kurt's ears that made him think Blaine looked and sounded different. Maybe it wasn't that at all.

Blaine pulled away, just an inch between them, his hand holding Kurt's head securely and his other hand having made its way to Kurt's lower back. "Please, Kurt," Blaine whispered in a voice that was low and slightly hoarse with the way he was trying to keep in control, "let me make love to you."

Kurt's heart slammed against his ribs again and again. He knew that if they had time, proper time, they would take this step after they'd been together for a while. But they didn't have time and they wanted the other with the same amount of passion that was evolving into utter need. They didn't have time to be together and once the sun set on the last day when the potion ran out, there would never be another time. Maybe it wasn't ideal and maybe it was too soon, but they knew they loved each other and Kurt knew that Blaine wouldn't ask him if he didn't mean it.

Blaine had paused, waiting, frozen where he was for Kurt's answer. And in the moment it took for his mind to catch up to his body, Kurt let out a soft breath, staring into Blaine's eyes and whispering with all the feeling he had, "Show me. Make love to me."


	18. Chapter 18

Blaine brushed his hand along Kurt's cheekbone and looked into his eyes before kissing him deeply. Kurt pushed himself forward into the kiss, bringing their bodies closer together. Blaine broke their touch, but kept their noses not more than an inch apart as his hands reached for the hem of Kurt's shirt. Kurt lifted his arms and his shirt was on the floor in a matter of seconds with Blaine's following quickly after. Kurt leaned down to kiss him again, lightly trailing his tongue against Blaine's lips. Blaine's hands settled on Kurt's hips and he opened his mouth, allowing Kurt entrance as he began to lick at Blaine's tongue. Their lips moved together and Blaine pushed back, darting his tongue into Kurt's mouth as he groaned and gently shifted his body to his knees. Kurt's arms were already around his neck and Blaine held him tightly around his back with one hand and rested his other hand against the frilly comforter and began to lower Kurt down on his back, their lips never leaving one another's. Kurt pulled away when he was flat against the bed, where Blaine nudged Kurt's head to the side and kissed along down the side of his neck, along his collarbone, and back up to suck at his earlobe. Kurt sighed gently and rubbed his hands on Blaine's neck and along his shoulders. Moving slowly, Blaine ran his hands down Kurt's chest and pulled back, internally swearing that he was never going to get used to the amazing smoothness of Kurt's skin.

Blaine leaned in, kissed Kurt again on the mouth, trailing his tongue along his bottom lip. He sighed in content, pushing back against him and running his hands through Blaine's hair. Kurt could smell the slight scent of salt on Blaine's skin and he had a fleeting moment of wondering if Blaine's skin tasted as good as his mouth did. Blaine moved his head down, nipping at Kurt's neck and bringing his hands up along Kurt's sides, up under his shoulders and over to cradle the back of Kurt's head in his hands as he settled his body down between Kurt's legs.

Blaine spread his knees open wider, causing Kurt to bend his knees up around Blaine. Then he began to rock slowly against him, licking soothing patterns on exposed neck. Kurt's head tipped back further into Blaine's cupped hands. It sent shivers down his spine and shot prickles of a pleasure he'd never known through his veins, but amidst this new sensation, he felt safe. Protected. Loved.

Blaine was curling his body around him, desperate to get closer. He was rocking down harder, feeling both of their arousals between them. Kurt turned his head, cheek pressing against the soft curls of Blaine's hair, as his hips lifted of their own accord, the pleasant sensation quickly becoming not enough. Blaine lifted his head and kissed him, dipping his tongue into Kurt's mouth and licking at his teeth, his tongue, his lips, thoroughly tasting him and Kurt moaned against his lips as Blaine circled his hips. Kurt's fingernails drew thin lines down Blaine's back, trying to pull him closer. Blaine pushed harder against Kurt, everything starting to haze in his vision, and he just wanted to rut against him until they both came, but this was Kurt and this meant more.

He reluctantly forced his hips backwards, drawing his hands out from under Kurt's head, and lifted his body away from the burning heat of the man below him. Kurt let out a strangled sound and tried to pull Blaine back, but he just laughed gently and asked, "Was that okay?"

"Y-yes," Kurt said, eyes dazed and his hands still searching for a way to pull Blaine closer. "I need… more. Blaine, please."

His voice was verging on desperation and the sound sent thrills up Blaine's spine. His hands fluttered to Kurt's hips, his torso bare and beautiful. And he just stared. Kurt was utterly gorgeous and Blaine felt his breath catch in his throat. The way the moonlight streamed in through the window and the way it cast just the right amount of light on Kurt's pale skin seemed to make him glow. Blaine was aware his mouth was slightly open and it took Kurt's gentle hand on his cheek to bring him back to here and now.

"Blaine?"

"I would do anything for you," Blaine said suddenly, his voice low and serious in the dark. His eyes flickered up to meet Kurt's gaze and his eyes shimmered with the sudden emotion. Kurt swallowed, Blaine's words ringing in his ears. Kurt pressed his hand to Blaine's cheek, feeling the warmth and noticing the way that Blaine turned into his hand, closing his eyes. "I know," he whispered, hoping it was enough. He knew now that Blaine would be willing to sacrifice so much just so they could be together, but he would just as willingly become a human for Blaine. They held each other's gaze, neither wavering, and Kurt stroked his thumb along Blaine's cheek, the love and devotion in his eyes almost brining Kurt to tears. No one had ever cared for him the way that Blaine did and he thought that no one ever would. Blaine nodded once and Kurt blinked, leaning over to kiss him softly.

Blaine began to press gentle kisses all over Kurt's body, beginning with his neck, down his sternum, along his gently defined stomach, and a few inches past his navel before moving back up, trailing his nose where his lips had just been. Kurt's hands fanned out against the broad muscles in Blaine's back, his skin tingling where his lips had been. Strong hands moved down to the top of Kurt's pants, and circling in small shapes, moving lower with every slide down and dipping inside, making Kurt lift his hips so Blaine could get closer.

He could feel Kurt's hands now roaming over his chest and in a sudden spark of inspiration, he brought his hands up to Kurt's wrists. After a few soft breaths, he carefully rolled over next to him, looking at Kurt to let him know it was okay. "I want you to touch me," he whispered, aware how much torture this would cause but wanting, needing, Kurt to savor this moment as much as he wanted to. He wanted Kurt's hands on him and he needed Kurt to know that he could feel safe around him. Kurt paused for half a second and then he scrambled over and threw his leg over Blaine's hips and he wanted to tell him that he didn't need to hurry, that he wasn't going anywhere and they had all the time they needed to make this special, but then Kurt's hands were on Blaine's chest and in his haste, he'd brought his hips down as he settled over Blaine and Blaine promptly forgot his own name.

The contact lasted barely a moment, as Kurt began his exploration of Blaine's body, but Blaine's eyes fluttered closed and the breath left his lungs in a needy sigh and he had to fight to not lift his hips up to meet with Kurt's again. He was definitely hard now (though that momentary contact had let him know that Kurt was right there with him) and took deep breaths to control himself. He opened his eyes and watched as Kurt moved his hands over his stomach, his sides, and paused on his chest as his hands gently moved up and down with each of Blaine's careful breaths.

"Take your time," he said softly and let his hand rub lazily on Kurt's shoulder, while the fingers on Kurt's other hand reached over to trace along the defined muscles of his arms. Kurt brought his head down and repeated the slow motions Blaine had done for him, kissing his neck and jaw line and along his collarbone. He let his head sink into the comforter and let his eyes slip closed, where Kurt pressed feather-light kisses to his eyelids.

Blaine's heart thudded against his ribs and he placed his hands on Kurt's hips, running them up and down and bringing Kurt closer. At Kurt's soft sigh, he brought his hands to the middle of Kurt's back, feeling the lithe, long muscles under his skin, and moved his hands down as Kurt's lips sucked at a hollow spot near his collarbone. He moved his hands steadily, running over the curve of Kurt's ass, down to his thighs and slowly back up. Kurt pushed back against him slightly, whether he was aware of it or not, and his breath hitched against Blaine's neck.

"Can I finger you? Please? I-if you want to." Blaine asked, staring right into Kurt's eyes and trying to keep his voice from wavering too much. Just the thought of what he wanted to do sent every drop of blood in his body flooding south and knowing his eyes were dark with desire. Kurt nodded and Blaine lifted himself up a bit, silently cursing himself for not thinking this through. "Kurt," he whispered. "I'm going to need to go and get some… some olive oil from the kitchen or something."

"What do you put in your hair every morning?" Kurt asked and ran his fingers through the slightly messy curls.

Blaine smiled, knowing the stuff was all-natural and wouldn't hurt Kurt or himself. "That would work."

Thanking his lucky stars that he didn't have to get up, Blaine reached to the side table, where his concoction of hair product was sitting. Kurt pushed himself off Blaine and waited until he had poured some of the cold liquid on his hand and rubbed his fingers into his palm to warm it up.

"W-what do I do?" The look in Kurt's eyes said he was nervous, but excitedly so.

"Just get comfortable." Blaine told him. "It might be best if you're on your hands and knees though."

Without hesitation, Kurt turned over and sat on his knees like Blaine had told him, his arms locked, hands flat against the bed to support him. "Like this?"

"Y-yeah," Blaine swallowed. "Just like that."

He didn't want to hurt him and he wanted to be able to stretch him slowly so it was less painful but god, the way he was sitting right now, Blaine just wanted to take him, to claim him right then and there that he was his and only his. Biting his lips to stop those thoughts, Blaine moved forward and put his index finger at the top of Kurt's ass."If you need me to stop or to go slower or anything, tell me okay? Anything you need, tell me."

Kurt nodded, saying, "I trust you, Blaine."

And he then brought his hand down slowly, giving Kurt time to ask him to stop. When he reached Kurt's entrance, he paused, keeping his finger pressed lightly against it and then began to carefully draw small circles. Blaine moved his body forward, his arm touching Kurt's back and leading down to where he had kept his hand. He pressed light kisses to Kurt's neck and listened for his breathing to guide him. Kurt's breathing was controlled but coming faster in anticipation and he carefully slid his slicked-up finger inside up to the first knuckle. Kurt's breath hitched, as Blaine had expected and he stilled all movement from his hand, but kept kissing him. Then he slowly inched his finger inside more and more until he was far in as he could go. Kurt was breathing deeply and Blaine let him get used to the sensation. When Kurt began to exhale normally, Blaine slid his finger back and then carefully pushed in, hearing the gentle groan from Kurt that came with this feeling. He did this again and again and each time, Kurt had an easier time relaxing around him, learning the feeling and expecting the slight burn. He moved faster and when Kurt seemed ready, he slowly added a second finger, watching Kurt's profile for any sign that he should stop. But none appeared and instead, he heard soft sighs and the occasional light hiss as he adjusted. In and out he moved his fingers and then began to twist and circle them on the way out, beginning to stretch the tight muscles. He added a third finger and by now, Kurt's eyes were closed and he had his mouth open slightly and a little while later, when Blaine crooked his fingers upwards and brushed against the bundle of nerves inside him, Kurt couldn't help the moan that bubbled up from his throat.

Blaine's gentle touches against his neck and shoulders contrasted against the way he was now moving his fingers and teasing his fingertips against that spot even more. Kurt was breathing harder and oh the things his harsh moans were doing to Blaine. He pushed up with slightly more pressure against Kurt's prostate until Kurt was pushing back against him, craving more. The heavy breaths tumbled from Kurt's lips and he was moving his hips with Blaine's hand, seeking more.

"Kurt," Blaine asked, his own voice breathy with need, "do you want-"

"Yes," Kurt sighed before Blaine even finished his sentence. Blaine gently pulled his fingers out and Kurt mewled at the loss. He poured more oil on his hand and rubbed up and down his hard length a few times, slicking himself up with more than was necessary. Kurt was waiting for him, hadn't moved from his hands and knees, and Blaine sat on his knees behind him, placing his hands on Kurt's hips.

"I-it's going to hurt," Blaine reminded him in a soft voice, "but I'll go as slow as I can and tell me what you need okay?"

"Yeah," Kurt said and nodded. "Please, Blaine. I just… I need…"

Blaine understood. He held Kurt's hips in a tighter grip and lined himself up with Kurt's entrance, then slowly began to push inside. There was a sharp intake of breath from below him and Blaine stopped, then began to gingerly rock his hips forward. Kurt let out gentle groans and slight hisses as he tried to get his muscles to unwind as they tensed around Blaine. Breathing through his nose, Blaine held back the moan building in his throat at the feeling of Kurt's tightness around him. He rubbed his hands on Kurt's lower back and hips, encouraging him to relax. When he did, Blaine rolled his hips forward until he was buried in Kurt's tight heat. With soft, heavy breaths, he didn't move and waited.

"Blaine," Kurt whispered. "P-please move."

Blaine did so cautiously, pulling his hips back and then beginning to thrust shallowly, slowly. Kurt still tensed with his hitched breath and Blaine went slower, again moving his hands to Kurt's hips and outer thighs to try and get him to relax.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked softly, knowing that if he raised his voice to a normal level, he'd have a difficult time getting the words out.

Kurt's head dipped down and then back up. "Y-yeah. You can go f-faster if you w-want."

He moved his hips at a slightly quicker pace, building a steady rhythm. Kurt let out low breaths when Blaine rolled his hips slowly started to go faster. Blaine's eyes slipped closed and oh god, Kurt felt so good around him. He pulled almost all the way out and then thrust back in and Kurt's head lifted and he let out a sharp breath that ended in a needy sigh.

Blaine let his hips shift, burying himself completely inside Kurt and pulling back with quickening speed. Kurt felt so, so good and the soft moans fell from his lips as he moved faster, hands fluttering to Kurt's hips to hold him still. Kurt was unconsciously shifting too, pushing back against Blaine and rocking with him, letting his legs slip open wider and feeling all of Blaine. The half-garbled words that fell from his lips were more noises than words but anything coherent was not an option at the moment. Kurt's arms bent and his cheek pressed against the frilly bed, rocking more against Blaine and forcing him deeper. And Blaine groaned, the beads of sweat from heat of contact prickling down from his hair. His arms were shaking too and he forced himself to stop gripping his hands into Kurt's hips, instead pushing forward a bit and pressing his hands against the bed. He could already feel the tight heat growing low in his belly and could barely hear the higher-pitched, shaking pants from Kurt.

"Blaine…. Blaine, is it supposed to f-feel… ah…" Kurt cut off with a keening whine.

Blaine kept moving, kept his pace, moving with timed shallow thrusts now, quicker than before. He knew Kurt was close. He was close. "Yes, K-Kurt. Let it… just feel…" His words weren't exactly the easiest to understand right now but he hoped Kurt would know that it was okay.

"Blaine… Blaine… Blaine…." The string of words just kept repeating on Kurt's hushed breaths. Kurt's body pushed back against him over and over, his movements becoming jerkier and stuttering as he came closer to the edge. He was panting, mewling, clenching his eyes closed, all his sensations dulling except for the sense of touch, the heightened feel. He was trembling beneath Blaine, so, so close. "Blaine… Blaine…" he babbled, fisting his hands in the blankets, the heat from their bodies soaking into the sheets and flooding around them. Kurt's breath was hitching, catching with his dry gasps of air.

Blaine's hand slid along the sheets, up Kurt's body, and he wrapped his palm around Kurt's straining length, aching for release. Kurt gasped when Blaine stroked up once, bucking his hips forward and moaning. Blaine repeated the motion once more, applying a bit more pressure. And that was it. Kurt came with a strangled gasp, all but choking on the first syllable of Blaine's name. His hips rocked in a manner that was not controlled at all and Blaine continued to gently stroke him through his orgasm, while thrusting his own hips as Kurt tightened around him.

Three more rocks forward was all it took and Blaine was coming too, coming harder than he could ever remember and it took many deep exhales to drift back to himself. He didn't realize he was practically laying on top of Kurt at this point and he took care to pull out as gently as he could and lay next to him instead. They were both breathing heavily and were still slightly sweaty and flushed with exertion but neither really cared. Kurt opened his eyes to find Blaine next to him and he smiled slightly. Blaine reached up and stroked Kurt's hair, staring back into Kurt's glazed-over eyes.

Blaine swallowed to coat his dry throat and asked, "Are you okay?"

Kurt heard a small laugh leave his mouth as he blinked slowly, fighting the tiredness that was settling into his bones. "I'm more than okay."

The hand in Kurt's hair moved gently and he closed his eyes again, then he heard Blaine's voice. "I'm glad. And I want you to know that I love you, even without sex. I love you with all that I am."

Kurt looked at Blaine again and clasped his hand around Blaine's wrist. "I do know. And you know that I love you too, right?"

"Every day," Blaine smiled softly.

"Thank you," Kurt whispered, his eyes already fighting against him and beginning to close.

Blaine felt his eyebrows pull down. He moved his hand from Kurt's hair to his cheek, then intertwined their fingers. "For what?"

"For everything," Kurt whispered again. And it didn't take more than that in the tone of his voice for Blaine to understand. Kurt was thanking him for loving him, when he thought no one else would, for eternally giving him hope that being different didn't make you bad, when no one else seemed to believe that was true, and for so many other little things that meant the world to him.

Blaine was aware that his face was melting into a puddle of sappiness that only one person in the world had gotten to see—and that person's eyes weren't even open to see it. He wiggled closer and kissed Kurt's forehead, kicking the blankets as he went. A bath would be more than welcome right now, but Kurt's breathing was already rhythmic and gentle and he looked like every bit the beautiful person that he was. Blaine laid there, listening to the sound of Kurt's breath and heartbeat and tried not to think that one day, this would all be just a distant memory, how they would be separated forever. It was a hard thing to push out of his mind, but he managed for now.

They were going to Hali—to home—tomorrow and that was what he kept his thoughts centered on as he held Kurt's hand in his and whispered, "Good night, my love," into the soft glow of the chandeliered candles above them that seemed garish before, but now, only seemed to heighten the peacefulness of this night.


	19. Chapter 19

It is the sound of chaos that alerts Kurt that something is wrong. He didn't know, wouldn't have known, until it was too late. From where he's sitting by the tide pools, it takes only a second for him to realize that he's too far away to do any good. And his heart throbs so painfully, he has to press his hand to his mouth to keep from screaming.

He can see them on the ship, where most of the crew had been scaling the ropes or doing other work on deck and he knew that no one saw them coming. It's a miracle Kurt can even see the fuzzy outlines of the crew with the sky so dark. So called 'Disembarkment Day' began early. Very early. It took the entire crew a couple of hours to get the ship ready and with the need to set sail at dawn, everyone associated with this trip was out much earlier before the sun rose. Blaine had told Kurt to wait by the tide pools, that it would be safer. What he'd meant was that Kurt would be out of the way of the bustling crew and not have to worry about dealing with the organized chaos. But Blaine's words ended up being truer than either of them could have ever thought.

Pirates. Kurt knew the sound of the rough men as they charged the ship, yelling and taking over easily. The crew was unaware, and with the ship still docked, they probably didn't have any defenses with them. It would be somewhat easy to take them down and claim whatever it was they wanted. It was likely that all Blaine's crew had on them to fight were their fists. And Kurt realized with a sickening drop of his stomach that the clanging of swords was growing louder. Maybe someone had managed to get hold of a sword somehow. But that was too much to hope for. A gunshot pierced the air and Kurt went from paralyzed with shaking fear to on his feet in a second, his eyes frantically searching what he could see of the ship.

This couldn't be happening. This could not be happening. Not now. Not after all they'd been through. Kurt's heart leapt in his throat as another gunshot rang out. Blaine. No. No. Blaine. Blaine. Blaine. No. It was all he could think, all that reeled through his panicked mind. Blaine was on that ship. And he knew Blaine would be right in front, fighting to protect his crew if he could, trying to take down as many as possible before he himself was overcome. There was no way Kurt could get up to the loading dock in time to do any good. And once he was there, he wouldn't have any idea of what to do. He would be in the way, he would probably get hurt or worse. But Blaine…. Blaine, the man he loved, was there, there, there, and so close but so far away.

Kurt's hands gripped at his arms, leaving marks in his flawless skin, unable to do anything but needing to do something.

"Stay safe. Please."

The words thrummed through Kurt's mind, soothing and gentle amidst the growing fear. Blaine had said that to him one of the first times they'd spoken to each other. Kurt knew that Blaine meant it when he was a merman but… didn't they hold true as a human too? Even if Kurt were able to get to the dock, Blaine would only worry about him and he couldn't have that as a distraction.

His hands are shaking and the shining tears have yet to fall but with one last look at the ship, he does the only thing he can think of. Maybe it was a bad decision when he can't think clearly, but it's the only thing he can do. It's panicked instinct at its most basic level and no amount of things he's learned or never even really believed can change the thoughts that rush through his mind as he's leaping off the edge of the tide pools and into the water below. Humans who hurt. Humans who kill. Protect. Leave. Hide.

His transformation is faster this time, maybe due in part to the fact that the potion was stronger and is affected easier, but it's something Kurt is grateful for. The feel of the tail instead of human legs is something Kurt adjusts to easily, but again, maybe it's only the panic coursing through his body that makes him ready to adapt to anything. And he's swimming fast, swimming with the intent to get out of there, but Blaine's face slams into the forefront of his mind and he's stopping so quickly the water swirls around him in varied directions. He's panting, having to force himself to breathe normally and actually look around him. There's nothing in the water that can hurt him. He's safe here, from the humans above. Again, Blaine's words drift through his mind. Stay safe. And he's done that. But Blaine hasn't. Blaine isn't safe and he won't be until the pirates leave or…

Kurt doesn't want to finish that thought. He presses his hands to his head, combing roughly through his hair and turning back towards the ship. He swims slowly now, cautiously, ready to flee in a moment's notice. But for all the chaos above, the water below is relatively calm. The great hull of the ship comes into his vision and he makes sure to stay far below the water's surface. It's only when he's right up against the creaking ship does he risk to poke his head up.

The sounds of battle seem so much more potent here. It takes a lot of mental blocking to stop himself from crying. Knowing that the person he loves, not to mention the crewmates that have become his friends, are on that ship, being attacked with no way of getting help, is almost too much to take. Kurt presses his hand over his mouth, holding in his fear and sadness, and he waits.

It's too long. It's much, much too long before the sounds of shouts of victory or pain and the clashing of swords die out. Kurt knows by sound that the battle has finally ceased. He also knows that some people got away, as the pounding of feet on the dock would indicate. Hopefully they would get help. Kurt allows himself to drift forward, keeping as low as he can, to try and see.

It was eerily calm on the sea. The water itself was dark to the point of almost looking like black tar. There were hardly any stars out tonight and the many clouds covered up the moon, while the sun was barely beginning to peek over the horizon. Kurt licked his lips and strained to hear. There were people moving about and he could make out words being spoken but it wasn't until they moved up closer did he know who the words belonged to.

It was the pirates. The dialect was rough and deep, like nothing Kurt had ever heard from any of Blaine's crew.

"This all that's left?"

"Seems like it. The rest took off."

"Buncha cowards. Wouldn't even stay for tea!"

Laughter echoed in the silence, causing Kurt's blood to boil. There came banging around near where Kurt was and he bit back his gasp before realizing they were searching the ship. There were a lot of them. Probably fifteen or twenty at least. Kurt focused on the conversation he could hear, while keeping an ear trained on the sounds near him as they grew louder and then faded as well. After a while, judging by the noise on deck, it would seem like all the pirates were together and discussing what they'd found aboard. But they weren't happy. One deep, booming voice seemed to be their captain and Kurt kept hearing questions bark out of his mouth.

"What do you mean it's not on the ship?"

"Well go back and look harder you idiots!"

"It has to be here. Why isn't it here?"

Whatever they were looking for, they were becoming increasingly frustrated until it became clear that what they desired was not aboard.

"Do you know how much time we've wasted tonight? The king always sends jewels back to his supplier on a terms of understanding and you're telling me they're not here?"

"They were! At least… they're supposed to be…"

A smack echoed.

"Well, we have the ship… And the other things."

A heavy sigh. "She's not even ready to sail. It'll be more trouble than she's worth. Just take what you can and get going."

"What about the dead?"

A pause. "Toss them to Davy Jones."

There is scuffling of feet and the exerted grunts as crates-or bodies-are hefted up and moved. Kurt sinks below the water and counts as the weight splashes into the sea. One. Two. Three. Four. Four dead. He waits now, and it is even harder to do than before. Almost a third of the crew is dead, bobbing unceremoniously in the ocean. Either Blaine got away with his crew, or he's paid the ultimate price. Kurt's heart is pounding in his chest with a magnitude he's never known and he surfaces again, listening to hear the last of the footsteps as they leave. All is quiet.

Kurt darts for the nearest body, pain wracking through his chest as he realizes it's Wes. Blaine's first mate and oldest friend is dead, his unfocused eyes staring at the sky. Kurt gently closes his eyes and hums a soft song of mourning. It's one he learned as a merman and never thought he'd have to use and it falls from his lips without a second thought. He releases Wes and moves quickly to the next man, recognizing him as Justin, whom he'd sat next to multiple times for meals. The third is Trevor, someone who Kurt had never really known as he'd always been quiet and kept to himself. With each of them, he hums the short song, knowing they did not deserve to die but hoping that they will be at peace. He puts a hand on the shoulder of the fourth man and turns him over. Kurt's heart flies in his throat and he has to clamp his teeth down hard on his tongue to keep from screaming. It's Blaine.

Kurt can feel his heart breaking, shattering in a pain he's never felt. It's too much and he can barely keep his tail moving to keep him afloat as he clutches Blaine's body tighter to his chest. Oh god, oh god, oh god, is all he can think and the tears fill his eyes, blurring his vision. Blaine's body is warm against his skin and Kurt's stomach twists horribly when he realizes the last time he'd held Blaine like this was when they woke up this morning, the night after they'd made love. It wasn't fair… this… this wasn't fair. They'd just found each other and now…

Kurt choked on his breath, his nails digging into Blaine's skin. He pressed his forehead against Blaine's hair, rubbing his forehead against his softly back and forth. And then he began to struggle through his breaths because something was different. Blaine's body was warm. The others… they'd been cold. Blaine wasn't cold. The hope that swells in his heart is more than he should let himself have but he can't help it. He presses his ear to Blaine's mouth, the water rising and falling softly and lifting the two before gently bobbing back down. There is a slight warm puff of air from Blaine's lips and it's more than enough for Kurt. Blaine is alive. But he's hurt. He has to be hurt, and close to death, otherwise the pirates would have never let him go. Holding his head as best he can out of the water, Kurt pulls Blaine as close to him as he can get and he begins to swim.

He can't see in the dark water. The sun is steadily rising now and can't come fast enough. He needs to see where Blaine's hurt and he needs to get him help and the only way to do that is take him back to shore. Blaine is not responding to him at all and Kurt's terrified his life is slipping away too quickly for him to do anything about it. The swim to shore seems to take eons, but he is at least grateful for the sun's rays that shine brighter now.

Kurt looks around before deciding he can't leave Blaine here. Going too close to shore for him would be dangerous but even as shallow as the water is now, leaving Blaine is even more dangerous. He could drown even in the water only a few inches deep or the tide could pull him out. Kurt gathers Blaine in his arms again. He can already see where the wound is but he focuses on getting to the sand. Holding Blaine with one arm, he uses his other arm to pull himself up, his tail flipping about madly as he wiggles up to shore as much as he can. The effort is exhausting and he lays Blaine down and practically collapses on top of him but he takes a deep breath as he straightens up on his arms and scans Blaine. The cut is on his side, high on his ribs, and it's deep. It had to be the tip of a sword, or a dagger. It's not very big, but visibly seen amidst the torn shirt stained dark with blood. And already, the blood is steadily pulsing out, dribbling down Blaine's side and onto the rough sand.

Kurt feels his heart speed up, pounding painfully as his eyes grow wider and he has to stop the panic from overtaking him again. His merman body is making him aware of how much it does not like the open air but Kurt ignores it. He sets to work, tearing the tattered, stained shirt off of Blaine and balling it up, pressing down hard on his injury. Who knows when Blaine was hurt and it took a long time while the pirates were talking before they left. Blaine was losing blood that whole time and the way his face is so pale even in the brightening sun is terrifying. He could die. He could die right now, not even knowing Kurt is with him. He shows no reaction at all that he's not even in the water anymore, but he's still breathing. For now.

And it's too much. The blood is pumping out furiously, draining Blaine even more and Kurt doesn't know how much time he has left. And the tears that he's been blinking back this whole time finally overcome and he's sobbing over Blaine, gripping his hand hard and determined to stay with him until the end. With a choked breath, he looks over his shoulder. The absence of water on his skin and scales is becoming painful but he realizes now that he went too far on shore. He's already weak and scared and heartbroken and he knows it's too much of an effort to reach the water's edge. He knows he wouldn't get far before he collapses.

It's the pounding of feet that makes him whip his head up, his lips cracking as they part in the dry heat. By now, his tail is so dry and thirsting for water it hurts so badly to move and the color has been sucked away by the sun. His once beautiful, envied turquoise tail is now nothing more than shades of green-grey, dry and scaly and ugly. But he doesn't even care. Maybe the humans who are coming will think he's dying and toss him back in the water, but what matters is that the humans can help Blaine. Nothing matters to him, as long as Blaine is saved.

He swallows and waits, tightening his muscles where he is holding onto Blaine, whose head is turned sideways and his lips are slightly parted and his eyes closed. He can feel his chest barely rise and fall. The pounding of the footsteps gets louder, as do the shouts as they are spotted, and he hopes that it is not the pirates. The tears are back as he realizes these are men from the palace and he can't stop the tears from falling. He needs them to know they can't just leave him, they can't leave Blaine here to die.

The men, about five of them, stutter to a halt as they realize exactly what Kurt is. Kurt's arm is around Blaine protectively, his other hand pressing hard against the wound.

"Help him! Please!" Kurt begs. "He's hurt and he's going to die if he doesn't get help. Please, help him! Help Blaine!"

Kurt's starting to feel dizzy from the heat. The men surround them, pausing, and then they move forward. Kurt tenses on instinct and one of them pulls on his shoulder, yanking on his fingers and prying him away from Blaine. He yelps and screams and screams.

"Shut it!" The man says and leans over him. Kurt stops screaming, though now he's trembling in terror and weakness. He's so tired it's a miracle he can even keep his eyes focused; there's no way he could fight them off. "They said merpeople were loud, but damn."

Kurt breaks his gaze away for a second and sees two of the men around Blaine. They're looking at him gently, analyzing his injury and talking to each other. Kurt prays that they are going to help him.

"Hey!" The man pulls Kurt's face back to look at him, cupping his chin. "What did you do to that sailor?"

"N-nothing! It wasn't me. It was pirates." Kurt's voice is frail and he forces himself to speak loudly.

"Must be a survivor," one of the other men speaks up. "The rest are being treated inside."

Inside. Kurt rations that the others must have made it back to the castle. That's good. They're safe.

"Take him to the infirmary. Looks close to death but maybe we can save him." There is a pause while the orders are followed and the fire is threading through Kurt's veins because he can't turn his head to watch and make sure they don't hurt Blaine. "Well," the man holding Kurt's face looks down at him again and turns his head side to side, inspecting him, "seeing as we apparently have a little hero in our midst, how about we take this one back as well? The king would pay a pretty penny to… honor you for saving that lad. How's about it, fish boy? Bet you've never seen a castle. Should be a treat for you." He snickers and Kurt's heart falls. But Blaine… Blaine looked worse than before when Kurt had glanced at him for a moment before being forced away. His skin was the color of death.

The man lets go of Kurt's chin and his head smacks against the sand. He's too tired to hold his head up. He has absolutely zero control over his muscles that are so weak right now. Stars swim in front of his vision and he can feel himself being hauled up roughly and the vertigo rings through his ears, sending the world spinning, as he's lifted and trudged back to the castle.

Somewhere between the stairs and the outskirts of the castle, Kurt's too weak to hold on anymore and the relief he never thought would come is upon him and he blacks out.


	20. Chapter 20

When Kurt awakens, his head is throbbing but he surprisingly doesn't feel like he's going to shrivel up and crack into a thousand pieces as he did before. It takes a shaky moment to figure out why. He's in water. Real, glorious salt water. He blinks multiple times to get his vision to focus and he quickly realizes there's not much to look at. He's in a tank, a small tank if he has to be honest, with barely enough room to stretch. But it's filled with the salt water his body was craving and it's helping him feel stronger.

The room his tank is in is dark and it's hard to make out even the one door straight ahead. His head is starting to throb less and that's a welcome feeling but the fuzzy memories of what happened previously are starting to come back. Blaine, bleeding, his breath coming so slowly. The gritty sand on their skin, the dry heat of the morning sun, the pain.

A sound echoes, like booted steps coming closer, and Kurt whips his head up and steels himself. There are at least three people by the sound of them and Kurt knows he's in a very vulnerable place right now. This could be very bad. Despite all that though, the first thing that comes from his mouth is, "Where's Blaine?"

The men look nothing like those who captured them, from what Kurt can remember. Their voices sound different too. Those other men probably got their reward and scampered off. Maybe they weren't men from the palace after all, as Kurt initially thought. Maybe he'd only seen what he wanted so desperately to see. But he was captured now nonetheless and thinking about those… those… barnacles wouldn't help anything.

The men start to come closer and Kurt asks again, softer this time, "Please, where is Blaine?"

The one in the front, with slightly too-long straight brown hair eyes Kurt, then sighs and glances back at the man on his left, who has eyes so green they remind Kurt of fresh seaweed. "Sad, ain't it?" The man walks up to Kurt, as close as he can get, and speaks to him directly, his voice calming and gentle. "We're only here to do our job, kid. Is Blaine another merman? Be surprising if—"

"No." Kurt cuts him off, his heart falling because it's clear these men are good people, or at least seem to have a soul. And have no clue what happened to Blaine.

"Sorry, kid, I really am." He sighs again and motions to his companions. They secure a short ladder on the side of the tank and one of them scrambles up. "We're supposed to use force if we have to and we don't want to have to, you got me? Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

"What are you doing?" Kurt whispers, his fear trickling back in.

"We're moving you somewhere else. Don't worry; it's much bigger. The king wants to see you but we had to get you healthy again."

The king. The words spark a memory. "The king will want to… honor you for saving this lad." He's a captive. A prisoner.

A hand reaches in the water and Kurt takes it. He's hauled up out of the water and wraps his arms around the man's neck who is holding him with one arm as he descends the ladder and lays him on a waiting stretcher. Kurt goes willingly, not wanting to cause trouble, especially because he can see that the stretcher is fit with restraints.

The move really isn't bad. It's short and his tail isn't dragging on the ground because the man in the back is holding it up and he's being gentle. But he's still a prisoner. The new tank is much, much larger than his previous one and requires a much taller ladder. The tank is the only thing in the room that Kurt can see, yet this room has three doors. His new home takes up almost half the room, leaving plenty of walking space in front of it. He's hoisted up again and has to climb over the edge but he drops inside without complaint and the men leave quietly.

It takes a few seconds for Kurt to realize something is wrong. The water looks and feels exactly the same, but it's not. His first instinct is to blame the men who brought him here but he knows they were only doing as they were told and probably didn't know. He swims up to the very top of the tank and pulls himself on the edge with his arms. The fall would badly hurt him, seeing as the floors are marble and the height of this drop. And he wouldn't be able to get anywhere.

He lets himself sink back down and everything comes rushing back in a blur, all the emotions pour in. What if they were too late? What if they couldn't save Blaine? What if Blaine is dead? Blaine could be dead right now and given the state he was in, the possibility is very high. He's tired, emotionally weak, and his mind formulates a memory where Blaine did die and it's so vivid, so very real, it doesn't take much for Kurt to believe it. The tears fall and he's shaking and sobbing because Blaine is dead. Blaine's dead and he's never coming back and he's trapped here in a freaking tank and there's nothing he can do.

********

It is a long time before Kurt calms down, but when he no longer has the adrenaline in his system, it's almost too much and he just wants to sleep. But there's no time for that because he has just barely closed his eyes when the king himself is announced and walks in, followed by a servant and a couple of his most trusted advisors.

Kurt's eyes snap open and rage fills him. "You killed him!" he cries out, "You killed him!" Memories mix with hallucinations and Kurt can see in his mind how they were on the beach and the king stepped up and slit Blaine's throat. Kurt can feel the warm, dark blood on his hands, see the life leave Blaine's pleading eyes and hear the horrid, horrid laugh as the king drags him away.

Tears blur his vision once more and he presses his hands to his head, willing the haunting images to leave his mind.

"Calm down, Kurt. I don't want to have to give you a sedative. You know what that is right?"

Kurt's head snaps up. "I'm a merman. I'm not stupid."

The king's eyebrows raise in surprise. "Well, I was told you are confident, Prince Kurt, but I wasn't aware of the magnitude. To speak to me in such a way will not be tolerated, do you understand?"

Kurt nods feebly, and something else sets in his mind. "Why did you call me 'prince'?"

"That's who you are. Prince Kurt, only blood-related son of King Burt and unwilling heir to the throne of Tras."

"How do you know it's me? What if you have the wrong person?"

"Deny it all you want, my boy. My sources tell me otherwise and they haven't let me down yet."

"What do you want with me? Why am I here?" The anger rises up again and Kurt draws himself up tall, his hands balling into fists. Of course the king wouldn't remember him. They'd only directly spoken once or twice but he was sure the king had seen him around the grounds. Of course he wouldn't remember; he wasn't valuable then.

The king turns back to those around him and sends them off with a wave of his hand. Once they are alone, the king walks up to the glass and looks at Kurt, surveying him. "You're a beautiful specimen, really I don't think there's another king, or person for that matter, who has such a gorgeous merman—or mermaid—in their midst. Yet, I do. And he has the purest voice of all the merpeople." There is a pause and then, "I'd like you to sing for me, Kurt."

Kurt glares back at him, trying not to show emotion.

"Just a little? A few bars? That mourning song you sang earlier was touching. Yes, I know all about that. You know, it's amazing just how much you can forget when emotions are involved. You were scared and you sang louder than you meant to. My men in the towers heard and when those sailors came back here screaming about an attack, I knew you'd show yourself. You cared about Blaine, didn't you? The boy you thought you saved. But it was too late. I'm sorry for your loss, you know. But I have you and that, well, that's something I'm not sorry about. I have the most valuable merman in the sea, right here in my own home, to do with as I please. And now, I expect to hear a song. So, Prince Kurt, if you please?"

Kurt set his jaw. There was no way he was going to sing for him. He thought his heart couldn't be more shattered at this point, but to hear that Blaine is dead, that it's true, he's never had to try so hard to remain calm.

"I see the rumors are true then. Your stubbornness precedes you. However, I think we are going to come to an… understanding. You will sing for me, Kurt. You want to know why?"

Again, Kurt remains as still as he can, keeping his eyes on the king and watching for any sudden movements.

The king ignores his silence and continues, "You may have noticed the water you're in is a bit different than what you're used to. Don't worry; it's not poison. However, it will make you weak. Terribly sick in less than two weeks. Pretty fast, don't you think? You can already feel its affects can't you? Imagine that tenfold and you're going to wish the water was poison. Got any guesses yet as to what it is? No? Well, I'll tell you because I like to play fair. It's water. Plain, plain water. But that's a problem isn't it, Kurt? Sea creatures need salt do they not? And I'm afraid I'm all out of that. Amazing how quickly merpeople can be brought down. Simply take away their salt and," he snaps his fingers in the silence. "Not so high-and –mighty now are you? Now, sing for me and I'll even bring you a little present."

Enraged, Kurt swims up to the glass and bangs his fists against it, pounding over and over again, screaming as he does so.

The king just smiles and lets him go for a bit, watching. When Kurt runs out of steam and is bobbing there, panting behind the glass, the king speaks. "Don't make a habit of doing that. You'll need your strength. It's clear you need some time to think, so I'll be back in two days. We'll see if you've had enough by then."

Kurt is silent, watching the king as he leaves and when he can no longer hear their footsteps, he lets out a long breath, the tiredness and grief already seeping into his bones. He's felt too much today, his emotions wrecking havoc on his body in this weakened state and he can't take it anymore. He wants to scream and cry for Blaine and the others who died and pound against the glass until it breaks but he can't. And if he sings, he'll be giving in. He'll be giving the king power over him and he can't let that happen. The king is greedy, sick to his core, Kurt can see that now and he wonders how many times he's fooled others into thinking he is everything he's not. Kurt feels like a fool. Blaine told him, long ago, that there are some people you can't trust, who will lie just to increase their own wealth. Kurt wishes now he'd taken that warning more seriously. But Blaine had trusted him too and…. Blaine.

Kurt sinks to the very bottom, letting sleep overcome and hoping it will make him stronger and not feel as fragile. He doesn't know if it's the trauma or the water coupled with heightened emotions that is playing with his mind but it's awful and he hopes that sleep will help him straighten things out in his head. Then he can think clearer and he can figure out what to do. But for now, he curls up and drifts to sleep in this unfamiliar place, wrapping his arms around himself and pretending they belong to the one person he can never see again as the tears slide down his cheeks.


	21. Chapter 21

Kurt ate the food he was given without tasting it but he does so only because he knows it will be so much worse if he doesn't eat. He's tired now. Numb. But he doesn't know if it's from the water he's in or the fact that the grief from losing Blaine is starting to set in. It might be both. He hasn't cried since the king's first visit and it hurts too much to think about. Every thought he has eventually returns to Blaine and maybe it's because he's not letting himself feel it, the fact that Blaine is dead, that he hurts now the way he is. He forces himself to fight back the tears because he is afraid to show weakness. And he's only afraid to do that because the king will surely storm down and force him to sing while he's at his worst. There are probably guards just outside the doors, beyond what Kurt can see, but he can't be sure he's alone.

And he's never felt so alone. Left here in his tank, with nothing in it except the water that's quickly weakening him, he only has himself and his thoughts day after day. And his mind isn't in the best of places right now, he knows that. But it makes the hallucinations that much harder to tell that they aren't real. Last night, he dreamt that the king burst in and without a word, began to torture him and Kurt knew it was because he was through trying to give him a chance and in the pain, he couldn't take it anymore and opened his mouth and Kurt's eyes flew open, the note on his lips, and he had to press his hand to his mouth to stop himself from singing. He was terrified to go back to sleep, so he'd made himself stay awake, the gentle glow from the water staining the dark room a light, shifting blue. His eyes had gotten so heavy and they burned and he wanted nothing more than to let his eyes close and sleep, but he couldn't. Because he might wake up singing and what if it was too late to stop it?

But then he heard a voice and in the back of his mind, he knew it wasn't real. But he wanted it to be real, so very badly, that he let himself listen. It was another hallucination, his exhausted mind trying to calm him but Kurt didn't care.

"Kurt," Blaine whispered, so gentle and loving.

Kurt smiled to the empty room.

"Kurt, it's okay. You can sleep. I'm here."

You're not. You're gone.

"No, I'm here. I'm here, honey. I didn't ever leave."

You did. You promised you wouldn't and you did. And I'm alone and I'm scared.

"No, Kurt. Listen to me. I won't let anything happen to you. Sleep, love. I'll be right here."

I can't.

And maybe Kurt did close his eyes and believe that Blaine was there, whispering in his ear, telling him he wasn't going to ever be alone. And maybe Kurt believed that Blaine was holding him, warding off the things and sounds in the dark that threatened to make him scream. And maybe Kurt actually slept well that night. But it was so much worse when he woke and the arms weren't around him anymore and he had to convince himself that what he thought was real wasn't. He had to convince himself all over again that Blaine really was gone. And that was hard to come to terms with. He knew he still hadn't. He still had hope that Blaine was alive, that he was safe, but that hope was getting steadily buried under the numbness he let himself sink into. He didn't want to feel anything, so he didn't. But it was lonely here.

**********

"Ah, Prince Kurt. How are we doing today?"

Kurt opened his eyes at the sound of King Theon's voice jabbing its way into his dream. It had been a good dream, but now he couldn't remember it and trying to hang onto the fragments of peace were like trying to hold water in his hands.

"Why do you still call me that?" he snapped, still not ready to give in.

"Prince? It's who—"

"Who I am. Yeah, I got that. I'm a prisoner here, not a prince, so stop calling me that if you're going to lock me up and slowly kill me."

"Oh I don't want to kill you. Far from it."

"Right. You want to put me on display to brag about."

The king smiled, and the sight made Kurt narrow his eyes. "Is there anything wrong with wanting to show off what's mine?"

Kurt swam up to the glass, looked the horrid man straight in the eye and yelled, "I'm not yours! I'm not your property! I'm no different than a human being and you're treating me like I'm some prized thing!"

"Oh, but you are, dear Kurt. You are valuable in more ways than one. And I'm afraid you do belong to me. But you should be happy. What if you had been found by someone else, who didn't know your value alive, and killed you to sell at the market? What then?"

Kurt sunk back, crossed his arms and his voice darkened. "It would be better than to be trapped here."

The king was slowly circling his tank and Kurt forced himself to stay still, but he didn't take his eyes off of him for as long as he could. Kurt closed his eyes when the king asked quietly, "Are you going to sing for me today?"

He was ready with his answer. "No."

"It's going to get worse, you know."

"I'm not going to sing."

There was a sigh. Perhaps it as supposed to sound compassionate, but it was nothing but vile to Kurt's ears. "Then why not just sing? Why be so stubborn? I'm a man of my word and you know if you sing, I'll give you the salt your body needs."

"So I'll be in a prison that doesn't kill me. Great. Just what I wanted." Kurt scowled.

"Just sing. You'll get what you need and you won't be weak anymore."

"I am not weak!"

The king sighed again, though his eyes blazed. "Suit yourself."

*********

It was four days before the king came back. And in that time, Kurt carefully worked to build walls around him that protect him. Emotional walls so that he could not feel anything. But it was hard and his mind kept drifting to things that hurt. He didn't know if his walls could withstand the pressure from the king, not when his body was getting weaker by the day, but it was all he could hope for.

"Well, Kurt. You've had a few more days to think about things. It's been a week. Has it been enough for you yet?"

Kurt lifted his gaze, not wanting to deal with this anymore. The king wanted to break him. He wasn't going to let that happen. But it was so hard. Especially when the king spoke of more than he had before.

"Are you sure you don't want to sing? Maybe you just need a bit more… persuasion. A… ah, familiar face if you will."

Kurt was about to snap back that he didn't need whatever he was going to give him; that he was strong enough to take this. But then the king clapped his hands and a moment later, a guard walked in, pulling a man with him by the arm.

It was another hallucination. It had to be. Blaine was dead. But he was here. He was standing near the king, where he'd been let go of, and he still looked sick, but he was alive, breathing, and his strength was returning. But it couldn't be real. His mind was playing with him again and it was almost too much to take.

Kurt closed his eyes, pressed his hands to his head, and shook his head back and forth, trying to dispel this image in front of him that hurt so much. He'd created visions like this in his mind before, but Blaine had always been in the tank with him, able to breathe underwater even as a human. Even his mind was pulling Blaine away because now Blaine was outside his prison, unable to do anything but look in.

"No." Kurt said and it quickly became a panicked chant. "No, no, no, no."

"What is it Kurt?" The king asked quietly. "Don't you want to see him? Don't you want to see Blaine? I thought you cared for him."

Kurt's eyes snap open and he's so angry. He barely looks at the Blaine his mind has created and he can see Blaine's eyes widen to see him trapped the way he is and there's something like deep sadness and anger in his eyes too but it has to be his dreams being more vivid. Blaine is dead.

"Stop it!" He hollers, fire burning in his veins. "Stop!"

The king raises his hand up to stop Kurt's hoarse yells. He does so, sinking back and feeling his anger draining with his physical strength.

"Keep doing that and I'll be forced to silence you in some way. Your yelling gives me a headache. Now, I've been thinking of something and I just can't seem to find an answer. I thought perhaps you might be able to set it straight for me. You dragged Blaine up to the beach. What I want to know is why. The merpeople have never shown any kind of affection for the humans. So why did you help him? Were it reversed and you were deathly hurt and a human were your only chance of surviving, you wouldn't even make it alive back to the beach. What made you think a human was worth saving?"

Kurt stayed quiet, crossing his arms tighter to stop himself from talking back, from saying he would give his own life if it saved Blaine and he knows Blaine would have done the same, had to stop himself from saying that he loved Blaine with all his heart and would do anything to have made sure he was okay. That he didn't have to die, while Kurt's broken mind formulated a Blaine to stand beside the king and make him hurt even more. Bitter tears stung his eyes and he stared at the floor, blinking furiously to not let them fall.

"It's a merperson's instinct to save, to protect. He was only doing what his instincts made him do."

Great. Now his hallucination was talking. Blaine sounded tired. He spoke softly with a visible effort as his hands clenched at his sides. But maybe Kurt was just overanalyzing. Maybe Blaine was angry. Either way, he forced himself to look up at him. As if he could look Blaine in the eyes, maybe it wouldn't hurt so badly, to accept that he was gone.

There was a deep sadness in his eyes, tinged with green now in the low-light of the room. It seemed like he was physically hurting to look at Kurt. The king, meanwhile was quiet, contemplating Blaine's suggestion. But he couldn't be. Blaine wasn't real. Kurt fought the urge to curl up and sleep again, to hide away from these delusions. He was just starting to be able to tell himself that Blaine was gone and he wasn't coming back. Now the king was speaking with Blaine before his very eyes. He couldn't take much more of this. Even now, he felt the note of a song bubble to his lips and it took a lot to not just give in and sing.

The king turned to Blaine and then gestured to him as he spoke. "Yes, I've heard of that before. Though I've never believed it until now though. Merpeople would never save a human and yet, here you are."

Was he making up this whole thing in his mind? Kurt closed his eyes, trying to separate reality from imagination.

"Why does he look sick?" Blaine's voice pierced Kurt's mind. He sounded incredibly worried.

"He's fine. He will be. Nothing bad will come to him. However, he's being quite stubborn."

"With what?" Blaine said sharply, clearly wanting to spit venom, but knowing he can't.

"I've asked him to sing for me and he refuses."

"What are you doing to him?" The sheer helplessness rises in Blaine's voice and Kurt opens his eyes to look at him. Blaine's gaze is locked on his and he's all but pressing his hands up to the glass, visibly shaking with the effort not to move forward.

"It's nothing of your concern." The king waves a hand dismissively. "Now, Kurt, back to the matter at hand. Sing."

Kurt just stares at him blankly after tearing his eyes away from Blaine's face that looks so real. He wants to cry.

"Come now, I've shown you Blaine here as a trade. I can make your life so much worse than it is now. You don't want that do you?"

Kurt barely shakes his head. His mind is broken beyond repair if he's having a conversation with his captor and his dead boyfriend when they're not really there. It can't get much worse than this, but he plays along because if he refuses, he fears the nightmares will get worse.

The king walks directly up to the glass and Blaine flinches but stays put and he lowers his voice so only Kurt can hear. "Kurt, no matter what you try to do, humans will always be superior to merpeople. Always. It's just how things are. Whether or not you try to fight back, you're nothing but powerless. And I am going to win. You're weak. It's just a matter of time before you give up and when that time comes, you can have a bigger tank with as much salt as you want. I'll even put it outside so you can get sunshine. How does that sound, hmm? Much better than this I'm sure. Refuse and I'll leave you here again. You're sick already, I can see that. Another week and you'll be unable to defend yourself. I'm trying to be fair. I'm giving you a choice here." He tilted his head as he looked at Kurt, speaking to him as though he were a very young child who was being spoken to in a serious manner, that he would be in trouble if he disobeyed.

Once again, Kurt was silent. He couldn't make himself say anything if he wanted to. His throat was closing up with emotions that also filled his eyes with tears and seize his body, so he couldn't even nod or shake his head. He could see Blaine out of the corner of his eye, looking heartbroken and defeated and upset. It hurt to know that Blaine felt that way, even in his imagination. But that meant the king was a figment of his imagination too, right? He couldn't hurt him. But it was so real. He had to comply, or else even in his mind, Kurt could be tortured. He opened his mouth to sing, but the king was already not paying him any attention, speaking up and stealing Kurt's courage and voice.

"Have it your way. I'll be back in four days. We'll see how you're faring then. I'm going to guess it won't be well." He turned away from him, saying, "Come on, Blaine. You've seen enough."

Blaine's mouth opened, closed, and his hands clenched again, grasping at air with the enormous want to stay. But he couldn't. Swallowing hard, Blaine followed behind the king, turning at the last moment to lock eyes with Kurt once more, mouthing, "Don't give up," before he was gone.

Kurt let out a pent-up sob, holding himself tightly and curling up as small as he could as the tears blurred his vision.


	22. Chapter 22

Kurt doesn't know how long it's been. Maybe a day? It feels like so much longer. He's getting worse and he knows it. And what makes it harder to bear is that King Theon paid him a visit earlier, asking him once more to sing, and after being refused again, warned Kurt that he had a "itsy surprise" planned. Little did Kurt know that the 'surprise' was for the guests of his birthday party in tomorrow. And King Theon was demanding that Kurt sing for his guests as he unveiled his treasured captive. He didn't mention what the price would be if he refused again, but Kurt could guess it was more than anything he wanted to know.

He can't take it anymore. He knows if he's forced to sing, the king will win. But if not… it's hard to think of what the king would do to him, but Kurt knows it will be awful if the way he's being treated now is any indication. Kurt's stubborn, always has been, but it's not just his stubbornness that's winning out right now. It's sheer determination, to remain strong and to keep his mind about him, if he can. It feels like he's slowly losing his mind in here, but he hasn't seen another Blaine hallucination since last time, so he hopes it's a sign he's going to at least be able to think clearly if he's trapped as well.

However, that doesn't seem to be the case.

His eyes open as he hears a tiny, frantic tapping noise resonating in his glass prison. His body jerks in surprise at the sight of a fuzzy figure in front of him, but when his eyes adjust, his heart sinks to see that it's Blaine, as real as the previous hallucination and just as heartbreaking. Blaine's hand is pressed up to the glass, as if he pushes hard enough, he can reach Kurt. And his forehead and nose are squashed up next to his hand as well and his eyes hold a desperate shine.

"Kurt," his voice is small but recognizable to every pore in Kurt's body. He would know Blaine's voice anywhere.

Kurt shakes his head, his hands automatically reaching up to cover his ears, as though he were young again and afraid of the dark. His eyes close, wanting so badly for this to just go away.

Another tap, a bit louder. And his name, spoken in a rushed tone.

"No," he whispers, though he opens his eyes, hoping he can stare through this figment and make himself see he's not real. "Go away."

"I don't have much time; they're going to wonder where their waiter went." Blaine gestured to the outfit he's wearing, something Kurt remembers seeing so long ago on the waiters who work at the palace. "Please, Kurt. I… I can't—You're not okay, but… please. Tell me… tell me you're not going to let him get away with this. You can't give up. I'm doing what I can and I promise I will get you out of here. I'm trying. It's… it's hard but… I think I have a plan and I need you to trust me. You're everything to me, Kurt. You're my world and I won't let him do this to you." Blaine is on his knees now, his hand pressing limply against the glass that separates them. "Please, love, don't…"

The blue of the water reflects a white shimmer from the bracelet tied around Blaine's wrist. His words echo through Kurt's ears and he lets his hands fall away, brushing his fingers against his bare wrist. Where his bracelet should be. Where is now empty, when the king took him as his property. The bracelet, the only thing he has left of Blaine, is probably sitting in some expensive jewelry box next to other priceless items. And that bracelet, made for less than the change Blaine had in his pocket the day he made it, was worth more to Kurt than all of the jewels and silver in any kingdom in the world.

Kurt blinked. Something made him want to get closer. He took a breath and moved forward, quite aware of the ache in his body that had been steadily getting worse, as if the energy were being drained from him. Blaine's eyes followed him and his head lifted as he came closer. Blaine swallowed, his hand pressing harder against the clear glass. Kurt hesitantly lifted his hand too and touched his fingertips to where he would have felt Blaine's warm skin. Blaine's eyes were swimming with tears.

"Please, baby. I love you. I know you're hurting and I know it's hard but you just need to hold on for a little while longer, okay? Can you do that for me? Please, Kurt, please don't give in."

Kurt stared into Blaine's eyes, leaning his forehead against the glass. "I can't. You're gone and I can't do this without you," he whispered, his eyes closing momentarily.

Confusion washed over Blaine's face. "No. No, Kurt, baby, look at me. I'm here." His other hand pressed up to the glass too, his thumb automatically beginning to stroke soothing circles to where he would have felt Kurt's cheek. He clenched his palm in frustration when he realized what he was doing and let out a sigh, his eyes holding Kurt's with worried determination.

Tears of anger and hurt threatened to fall but Kurt held them back, though he was sure Blaine could see it in his eyes. "You're not," he choked, pulling his hand away. "Stop it! Why can't you just leave me alone? You've been coming in here every night, telling me it's going to be okay and I don't have to worry, but it's not going to be okay and I have every right to be scared! You're not Blaine. Don't do this to me."

Blaine had never heard that tone from Kurt and he flinched. It scared him. Kurt wrapped his arms around himself, the pain evident in his actions. Blaine's mouth opened, shock making it impossible to say anything, but he closed his mouth and swallowed slowly, Kurt's words trickling in.

"Kurt," he whispered, afraid to say it louder, "I've only been here twice. This is the second time."

"You're lying. You've been here every night. More than once a day. You're lying."

Blaine looked into Kurt's eyes, searching for an answer. "Oh god," he breathed, actually pulling back from the glass as it sunk in. "You don't think I'm real. You've been seeing me in your dreams and you think I'm… Oh, Kurt."

"I'm not crazy," Kurt replied, voice cracking slightly. It was hard enough to convince himself of that fact, let alone say it out loud.

"No, no baby, you're not. I promise you, with all the love I can give, that you are not just making me up. I'm real. I'm here. I don't know how to make you see it."

Kurt sunk back down to the bottom of the tank, wanting to block out the words, but unable to keep from hearing them. And the words that fell from Kurt's lips, so soft and hopeless and defeated, shattered Blaine's heart.

"If you were real, you'd save me."

He'd just been stabbed with a thousand knives for all the pain he felt at those words. His mind went blank and all he felt was heartache. His throat was so dry, getting the words out was so hard, but he managed, "I will. I promise." He knew he was going to be in trouble for 'taking a break' for so long, but damn it, he didn't care about anything but Kurt right now.

There was silence for a short while and Blaine took the time to gingerly survey Kurt's body. He was in pain when he moved, which was clear, but when he took in the bigger picture, he could see that Kurt's tail, once bright and beautiful with health, was now so pale. So much so that it could almost past for a shade of mint. He didn't know how he didn't see it at first. And Kurt was trembling. A constant, gentle shaking that forced fire through Blaine's veins.

"You're sick," he said and the words were so easily spoken, it was a wonder he didn't realize it before. Kurt thought he wasn't real, which meant he'd been seeing things, which was bad. He looked so sick, worse that Blaine had ever seen from someone still alive. He wondered if Kurt had a fever, if he had been eating, if… "What are they doing to you?" he whispered, not expecting an answer but to his surprise and relief, he got one.

"No salt," Kurt supplied simply, though his voice was so soft Blaine would have missed it had it not been completely silent now.

Blaine felt his hands clench at his sides, his nails sure to leave marks in his skin. They were killing him. Intentionally or not, they were killing him. The previous conversation of when he'd been here sparked in his mind. Because Kurt wouldn't sing. The king wanted him to sing and he wouldn't, so he'd taken away Kurt's one basic need as a creature of the sea.

How long did he have? From the looks of him, not long and nausea gripped Blaine's stomach. They couldn't do this. He wouldn't let them.

"Listen to me, Kurt. I'm going to save you. I will. I promise. I'd rather die than see you in so much pain." The thought crossed his mind that it very well could be the case, as the king had warned him before the first visit that the penalty for trying to free another's captured merperson was death. "I will save you."

And he got up and left without another word, hurrying back up to where the preparations were being started for the king's birthday dinner tomorrow.

He barricaded himself in the pantry and sobbed when he was finally alone.


	23. Chapter 23

It's late when Blaine finishes his shift in getting the preparations ready for the king's dinner tomorrow and he's exhausted physically and emotionally. When he lays down, fully clothed in his waiter attire, there is no room in his frayed mind for any more thoughts and he falls into an immediate blissful sleep with no memory of his dreams.

*********

He is up early with the sun and finds that he is not the first to awaken and start the day. There is a mix of at least fifty servants and people employed by the king to begin decorating. The kitchen is already bustling with activity as the staff prepares not only breakfast, but begins lunch as well in order to free up more time for what dinner will take.

It is apparent that many people are expected to be here tonight, by the rows upon stacked rows of dinner party china that sit by the sinks to be cleaned until they shine. Blaine is bustled into a corner to start shining the silver cutlery. And there are mounds of it. Thankfully, three other waiters are assigned to help him, but even then, it takes a great deal of time.

And all he can think as he runs the cloth over the millionth fork as he stares at the giant cake being meticulously decorated is how badly he wants to tip over the table and send it crashing to the ground. That fucking cake was getting more attention than Kurt was. Kurt was dying, he could die if the king took this far enough, and the entire kingdom is lashed to prepare for this dinner—no, a ball, an awful, terrible party—in honor of Kurt. In honor of the king's special prize, his property.

It was wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong and there is nothing Blaine can do except stand there like he knows nothing and keep shining this god awful silverware. It is almost lunchtime when Blaine is released from his duties to take a break. He has an hour, then must report back to help carry boxes or something. He does not care enough to listen.

What he does do is walk as fast as he can to the king's quarters, lying to the guard about being sent for and is let in. He has little time to congratulate himself that his meager lie worked because as soon as the doors shut, the king sizes him up from his throne. The room is vast and very quiet and Blaine feels quite small now.

"Yes?" And King Theon sounds so utterly bored, Blaine wants to hit him to get some kind of reaction.

"You know why I'm here."

"Did the kitchen run out of sugar? I'm afraid that just won't d—"

"No!" Blaine yells, surprising himself with the strength of his cry. His hands are balled into fists and he's breathing angrily through his nose, eyebrows drawn down and eyes piercing like daggers. He takes a breath to calm himself while the king covers his shock.

"You dare to speak to me that way? You, who come in here when I could have you thrown out into the ocean where no one will hear from you again? Be glad I have a contract with your Lord my boy or I can assure you that would become a reality."

"You like causing pain?" Blaine growls, keeping his voice low. "Kurt is down there in your cellar wasting away because you won't give him salt!"

King Theon raises an eyebrow. "Ah. So it is about my merpet. I've told you boy, we have a deal. He sings, he gets salt. That's no fault of mine that he won't cooperate. And trust me, he will sing tonight. If he does not, there will be consequences to pay far greater than you could ever imagine."

Blaine's body jerks with the want to lung forward and smack any kind of sense into him, but with a flick of the king's wrist, his arms are grabbed by two guards and he is restrained, then forced backwards. "You're sick!" he shouts, his eyes blazing. "You're a monster!"

He can hear the doors just behind him open and he quiets as he is stopped. The king looks down at him from his throne and smiles just enough to show his true colors. "And who knows? Once we get him back to health, I'm sure his tail will look lovely on my wall."

The last thing Blaine hears before he is forced out the doors is the king's echoing laughter.


	24. Chapter 24

Blaine barely manages to shake off the guards without causing a scene. It's all he can do to not find something (or better suited,someone) to take his anger out on and that's not going to help anything. Least of all it won't help Kurt. He straightens his shirt and as he slowly heads down the stairs, he takes deep breaths to calm himself. His racing heart is beating at a gentle pace when he reaches the doors that will take him to the kitchen. He knows his composure won't last long.

And when he thinks of Kurt there, so sick and looking so small in the tank, it physically hurts and the tears well up in his eyes in a matter of moments. He sighs heavily, fingers trembling while he ties on his apron and allows himself a minute to deal with what he's feeling. He's grateful for his small frame when he crouches behind a large decorative plant for the time being.

He swallows hard through the tears that drip down his cheeks. Anything he could ever try to do will only end up badly for Kurt or himself. There's nothing that he can do. Nothing anyone can do and that fact, cold and bitter and worse than anything he thought he could feel, sinks in the bottom of his stomach and weighs heavily on his mind.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt," Blaine whispers, unable to keep it in. "Oh god, I'm so sorry."

*********

Blaine is numb as he carries on with the day, shuffling about from the kitchen to the dining hall to the adjoining rooms. But it is the ballroom that Blaine avoids as often as he can. The room has been transformed into a shadow of what it once was. His hands are full with at least the third box today that he's carried to the ballroom. It's a wonder that more decorations can fit, but it's the king's orders, so it must be done. After handing the box off to another servant, he stares around at the room and his stomach drops. There's a large tank mostly filled with clear water pushed against the center of the wall, with no doubt as to what—no, who-it will hold. Blaine can't tell if it's saltwater or not but he hopes with everything he has that it is. He doesn't know if Kurt's body can handle it much longer. There are unlit candles surrounding the sides of it, sure to cast a regal glow when the time comes for Kurt's grand unveiling that is sure to be spoken of long after the party ends. It breaks his heart.

"You! Boy!"

Blaine whips around to find himself face-to-face with a large man walking towards him at quite a brisk pace. "Y-yes?" he stammers, trying to hide his emotions quickly.

"What job have you been given for tonight?"

"I'm supposed to be available in the kitchen if they need any-"

"Not anymore you aren't. You're serving drinks."

*********

It really couldn't have worked out better, as far as crappy situations go. Because, where before Blaine was lost beyond hope, now he has some inkling of a plan. There are a million things that can go wrong but it's something to hold on to and it's more than enough right now.

He's going to get some very important people very drunk.

Blaine has been put in charge of serving the higher-ups. He has no idea why and if he's seen by the king, he could very well be punished based solely on his earlier outburst in the king's presence. But he'll take what he can get. His plan is harsh and really not much to go on, but he figures if he can get as many people as drunk as he can, it will allow for him to get Kurt out of there.

********

The closer it gets to the arrival of the guests, the stupider the plan sounds in Blaine's mind. He—and half the servants, well the ones who will be seen anyway—have been given fresh outfits for the occasion and he tugs half-heartedly at his crisp sleeve. The king is nowhere to be found, but Blaine assumes it's because he wants to make a grand entrance along with his 'pet.'

His heart is pounding as the day grows darker into night and Blaine is awaiting his tray of empty glasses. The horns announce the first guest and after that, it's a nonstop frenzy. The glasses are filled, the servants snap into action, and the party begins. There is no sight of the king yet, Blaine makes sure to note as he begins his first round. He barely makes it past the first table when he has to head back to get more glasses. He hopes that's a good thing.

The large ballroom is filled with the buzz of chatter and laughs and the entertainment begins playing softly. The notes of the harps, violins, and flutes rise gently, floating on the air like bubbles. But amidst the calm atmosphere, Blaine is anything but. A curtain has been drawn to cover the tank, though Blaine knows exactly what it holds and it makes him sick to his stomach.

Blaine has been serving four tables and he is up to his sixth round of drinks when he hears the trumpets. Blaine is waved away in favor of paying attention to the curtain, where the king's messenger is now standing. He backs up respectfully, though he holds no respect for these people in any ounce of his body. Grateful for the prime viewing area, Blaine stands up taller, making sure his half-full tray of drinks is balanced, and watches with bated breath.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your king!" The messenger's voice rises around the room and the trumpets blare again. Blaine's eyes flick over and sure enough, King Theon has become visible as he strides over to take his messenger's place in the center of the room. He smiles at the crowd, though it's more than likely that he can't really see anyone on account of how dark it has become. The candles on the tables have not been lit on purpose. The only person in any field of view is the king, surely how he wanted it to be.

"My friends," he begins and Blaine bites his lip. He's sure the king doesn't know half of these people by name. "It is with great happiness that I welcome you to my home tonight. Once a year I have a small party for my birthday"- he pauses and expected applause titters throughout the room-"though this year is a special one indeed. Not only do I get to celebrate another year spent with friends new and old, but I have been blessed with one of the greatest treasures I could ever hope to attain. Now I'm sure you're all dying to know what it is, so I won't keep you waiting, though I remind you to keep in mind just how majestic and wondrous such a gift can be."

He nods to the servant as he steps away and Blaine holds his breath. The curtain is pulled aside and as the onlookers receive their first glimpse and realize what they are looking at, small gasps of delight are heard. Applause again rises up, though it is more vigorous now that they have something to look at.

The king smiles widely. "Yes, my personal treasure. Isn't he beautiful? Kurt, go on. Turn around so we can all see your lovely tail."

It must be saltwater in the tank because Kurt's tail is almost back to the shimmering teal it once was. But Blaine can still see the sickness in Kurt's wide eyes and the paleness of his skin. He isn't better. It's just a mask, a façade of beauty to cover how sick he really is. Kurt turns around once as he is told, slowly, and to an onlooker it must seem as though he wants to take his time to show off his powerful tail, but Blaine knows it's only because he's weak and simply can't move any faster.

Blaine's so entranced by Kurt, how he can still act like he's okay even though he must really be suffering, that he doesn't notice the man at the next table.

"Boy! Boy? Are you deaf? I'd like some form of a refreshment over here if you don't mind."

Blaine clears his throat and jars quickly out of his stupor. "Sorry. Yes, sir. Here you are."

The man harrumphs and takes the glass Blaine offers. "You'd think if the king can afford to keep a merman he could afford some better servers."

"I apologize, sir. It won't happen again."

He bows and backs up, his thoughts far away. He hands out the rest of his drinks and walks slower than he should to the kitchen. The candles on the tables are being lit one by one, though no light outshines the dozens of candles at the base of Kurt's tank that make his tail glow with beauty. The king is now encouraging his guests to come up and take closer looks, essentially shuffling them by like Kurt is some zoo animal to be admired.

The anger inside him is harder to contain. The king is standing there right next to Kurt's prison, smiling smugly. What snaps him back to reality is the remindful shove from a fellow waiter to get moving. While the guests are gawking, the servants bring dinner to their tables. As plates are placed to each diner's empty spot, the guests begin to shuffle back to their tables; the luscious smell of the king's finest offerings are too tempting to resist. When everyone is seated, Blaine is placed on drink duty again, where he revisits the same tables and notices with annoyance that they don't seem to be much different. They're loud and talkative but so is the rest of the room as the music switches to a livelier beat.

This time when he brings another round of champagne to the table, he is waved away and told not to return until he is called for. He smiles and nods, though his insides are twisting. As he focuses on the other tables, his mind is racing. Such a stupid plan. How could that ever work? I'm so stupid. He forces himself to avoid looking in the general direction of Kurt. Even the pale blue, teal, and green hues of the decorations are enough to make him have to blink back tears of frustration.

And suddenly a hush falls over the entire room. Blaine whips his head up, staring directly at Kurt. He doesn't realize the every other person there is doing the same and staring at Kurt. He locks his eyes on Kurt's tired face, where he can see Kurt has plastered a small smile on his lips. Another mask. The subtle way his hands shake at his side show Blaine that he needs to get him out of here. Now.

But the king is turned towards Kurt and talking to him. Blaine watches Kurt's face. He keeps his same expression, though Blaine sees Kurt's forehead wrinkle for just a second. And that one second scares Blaine. He doesn't know what the king asked Kurt to do but to bring that look on Kurt's face is almost more than Blaine can handle. Kurt nods once and the king steps back with a smile.

Blaine realizes the band has stopped playing and it is deathly silent. His muscles twitch with the need to run forward, pummel the king, and hold Kurt in his arms again to take him away from this horrible place. And his heart drops when he sees Kurt take a slow breath and open his mouth.

A gentle, calming hum immediately washes over the scene. Even in these few notes, Blaine can feel the contained power of Kurt's voice as it seems to thrum throughout the very floor and up into his body. All the anger, resentment and hopelessness are gone. Completely gone, as if he'd never had anything in his life to be angry about at all. He can feel a dream-like relaxation of his face and there's enough coherency in his mind to remember not to drop the tray of drinks. He'd forgotten how beautiful Kurt's voice could be. Or maybe he just never fully realized it until now.

A few more bars are drawn from Kurt's throat and slowly dies away. Blaine shakes his head to relieve himself of the calming cloud that has seemed to form in his head and blinks. He looks around to see the others smiling and applauding. His eyebrows knit together. Another scan of the room shows that no one else seemed to be affected by Kurt's song the way he was. Pushing the thought aside, his gaze finds Kurt, who still has that soft smile on his lips but to Blaine, his whole body seems a shade paler. That one song took so much out of him. The king has a large grin on his round face. He is happy that his pet obeyed. But Blaine knows Kurt would never sing unless he was deeply threatened.

That knowledge and wonderment at what the king could have said to make Kurt so scared that he sang is terrifying on its own.

The guests return to their dinner and Blaine hands out his last few glasses and excuses himself to the kitchen. He wants to just sit, go back to his hiding place behind the giant plant and think about what the hell just happened to him. But he doesn't have time for that. And perhaps it's for the best. Keeping his mind busy will keep his thoughts off of Kurt and maybe he can make it through the night without breaking down.

**********

The rest of the party is a blur for Blaine. After dinner, the center of the room becomes the ballroom and there are flourishes of color everywhere as women in fancy dresses swish by on the arm of their partners. Sometime after that, Blaine is shuffled about to get desserts out on the tables. The lights are lowered, giving him a headache, and guests eat by candlelight with soft violins playing in the background.

He stands by, awaiting the call of some diner or another, gazing about in the dimness punctured by spots of flickering candlelight. He makes the mistake of bringing his eyes up and sees the candle's glow reflect off the water in Kurt's cage. His heart lurches painfully. Kurt is barely floating above the floor, his arms limp at his sides, his head held up just enough for him to seem alert. He swishes his large eyes back and forth every once in a while, looking to regally survey the scene, but it's all a charade. Maybe it's just the lack of light that makes Kurt look so unhealthily thin.

That's what Blaine tells himself as he tears his eyes away and focuses hard on the flickering glow of a nearby candle, watching as the wax begins to drip.

**********

Kurt breathes a sigh of relief when the last guest is shown out. He lost track of Blaine a long time ago. The candles have been blown out, the overhead chandeliers doused and the sparkling elegance of the palace dies almost immediately. It seems colder now too. He wraps his arms around himself and shivers, waiting for the servants who will transport him back to the salt-less, smaller tank.

The king passed him by, the same warning look he wore on his face earlier. If you don't sing now, I will kill him. Slowly. And I will make you watch. Those words had shot through his brain and his throat reacted by closing and his stomach churning. He'd had to fight for the small breath he'd taken before opening his mouth to obey.

He knew. Kurt didn't know how he knew, but he did. And Kurt had to protect Blaine. If it cost him his own life, Kurt would make sure Blaine was safe.

That is the last thought on his mind before he realizes how much he is shaking, tremors wracking his whole body with his breath coming shallowly and the dizziness invading his head. Letting the emotions he'd held back the whole night take over, Kurt weakly wraps his arms around himself and sinks to the very bottom of his shining tank, crying silently until the darkness of unconsciousness takes him prisoner.


	25. Chapter 25

Tapping. Like tiny pebbles being tossed at a wall. Tapping, light and insistent. Kurt is so tired, so very tired. He does not want to open his eyes but the tapping is getting louder and pounding in his head. Reluctantly, he forces his eyes open, still curled against the bottom of his tank as he was when he happily lost consciousness. The world around him comes fuzzily into view, taking a long time and he blinks slowly to hurry the process but it is as if he is staring through foggy water and it hurts to try and focus more. A shape blurs biggest in his gaze and there are hazel eyes locked on his face, a hand pressing hard against the glass.

Blaine.

The word appears in his mind but he cannot make his lips form the sound. He is so tired. His heart spikes for a moment and then he has to close his eyes again, wanting to tell Blaine that he just wants to sleep and then he'll be okay. But apparently Blaine has other ideas. Kurt can hear words wiggling their way into his head.

"…to sleep. Kurt, do you hear me? Don't go back to sleep. I know it's hard. Keep your eyes open, love."

Kurt wants to smile at the nickname, spoken so fondly, so softly. Lifting his head off his arms or even the comforting thought of trying to pressing his hand against the outline of Blaine's is not an option so he focuses to keep his gaze on Blaine's face. He tells himself not to look away from Blaine's face, as if it is the last thing he will ever see.

Blaine's eyes are almost fearful, panicked, but he relaxes just a small amount when he sees Kurt is obeying.

"Okay, good. Try to keep your eyes on me, love."

Strong hands are tapping at the glass again and gentle eyes scan back and forth. Blaine sinks down to his knees and pushes his face up as close as he can get and though the glass is squishing his nose slightly, Kurt still thinks he's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

"I'm going to get you out of here. I know you're tired. I'll do everything but just promise you won't go back to sleep."

As he speaks, Blaine's hand reaches back and produces something silver from his back pocket. The faint light makes it shine. Kurt wants to tell Blaine to leave, to go back to his room, because if he is found trying to help a mermaid escape, he will be killed. But he knows in his heart that even if he had the strength to tell him to leave, Blaine wouldn't listen.

The kitchen knife is clutched tightly in his hand and Blaine begins to scratch at the glass, his movements slow and deliberate at first, then moving faster and deeper as he gets a rhythm. The echo of Blaine's work bouncing off the walls reaches Kurt's ears in a thrum that makes him wince. Blaine's eyes are focused solely on the tiny hole he is gouging from the middle of the pane and his muscles work to deepen the indent. He pushes harder, his eyes closing as he mumbles something under his breath. A few syllables. Kurt has to strain his ears to hear.

"Come on. Come on. Break."

Kurt swallows, watching Blaine shove his whole weight forward and a sudden shock of red makes Kurt's heart slam against his chest. Blaine's hand has slipped down the handle of the knife and because of concentration or adrenaline, he doesn't feel or doesn't care that his palm is now bleeding. Slowly spreading blood drips down along with the small, steady stream of water falling free from the tiny fissure.

Blaine leans back, runs his fingers along the drip of water, again ignoring the blood, and looks around himself. Kurt's eyes slip closed for a moment, only a moment, but when he opens them again, Blaine is holding a small marble statue in the shape of something Kurt can't make out. Blaine must have gotten it from one of the many pedestals throughout the room. The two make quick eye contact and Blaine makes a motion to get Kurt to cover his eyes. Moving makes him dizzy, but he manages to turn his head away from Blaine and there is a pause. Then Kurt hears the shattering noise of the collision. Kurt's heart soars into his throat.

They're going to hear and Blaine is going to be caught and Blaine is going to die and Blaine, Blaine, Blaine.

The sudden adrenaline and fear forces Kurt to crane his neck back to look at Blaine with wide eyes just in time for Blaine to swing again, using the weakened pinpoint of glass as a target. Kurt sees the cracks scattering up and down the side like lightning striking the sky. The marble statue is heavy and Blaine's arms are shaking, weakening with the weight and exertion, but Blaine hits again. Four times. Five. As the statue is reeled back for another hit, the pressure is too much and the glass gives way, spilling the contents out in a rush.

Water, cold as ice, gushes over Blaine's feet and ankles, spreads out around the floor. There are pieces of broken glass covering the ground or being washed out with the running water. Kurt doesn't even notice that Blaine has moved until warm arms wrap around him and pull him up into the air. Blaine gathers Kurt close, so close, to his shirtless torso. Before the dizziness threatens to pull him under again, Kurt catches sight of Blaine's chest and arms. Both are covered in scratches and cuts of varying sizes, some openly bleeding, others only trickling. Kurt realizes, with a pain that throbs in his heart, that Blaine had broken the remaining glass enough to be able to get inside the tank that Kurt had spent so many hours upon hours in.

Blaine doesn't allow himself one look at Kurt's face before he is holding Kurt so tightly against himself and running. Kurt's head swims but he looks back at the damage caused by a knife and a statue, both of which have been abandoned to the swirling water, still pouring out of the fragments of the glinting glass prison.

The statue is that of a mermaid, strong and beautiful as the carved water surges up around her. In her arms, she holds a man, and within her eyes there is no mistaking that she is fighting against time to save the human she carries, fighting to give him the air he needs to survive. It is a carving forever set in swirling colored marble of some long forgotten fairytale.

Kurt closes his eyes and lets his head dip forward against Blaine's neck, listening to the rapid breathing of his hero, not unlike the statued mermaid. They are both fighting, fighting against what little time they have left.

********

Blaine knows he will be found. It's just a matter of time. He knows he will be caught. And the punishment will be death. But watching Kurt take his last breath in a tank of water that might as well be poison would be worse to face than death.

Blaine is going to die for his actions, but Kurt will have a chance to live, and as he runs through dark castle towards the sea, that is the thought that repeats in his mind, like the waves crashing to shore. He doesn't hear the surprised cries above him and the thundering of feet coming closer. He only focuses on the faint inhale and exhale of the person he loves in his arms.


	26. Chapter 26

Kurt is so light in his arms, so weak. All Blaine can do is keep running, running, running. Out the palace doors, over the perfectly groomed grounds slick with dew, down the stairs leading to the sea. It's hauntingly quiet around him, the blackness of the night so much more constricting than he could have thought possible. There are no stars out tonight, taking up gentle solace in the absence of the moon. But that is anything but comforting for Blaine. His chest is searing with heaving breaths, his arms grow tired though he holds Kurt tighter despite the fatigue and the pounding of his heart. He doesn't look down at Kurt, knowing he will find a face paler than marble, the light and life crushed out of his perfect body. He keeps his blurry eyes focused ahead of him, towards the sea.

He stumbles on the last of the stairs, sticky with wind-blown salt and mist, pitching forward and into the sand. He manages to twist his body as he falls, with Kurt gathered close to his chest to shelter him, and he lands hard on his shoulder. The pain he feels from the rough landing does not faze him. He doesn't even feel it. As his toes scramble for purchase in the uneven texture, he finds himself repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The words are parasympathetic, ones he cannot control falling from his lips over and over and over. When he stands he can clearly hear thudding footsteps and yells from behind him. This is it. The guards have almost caught him, once and for all.

He's so close to the sea. So close, the blood pulses faster in his veins, every pore screaming to scramble those last few feet. And Kurt will be saved. Kurt's head lightly taps against Blaine's neck, as he is too weak to hold himself still. Then there are words trickling somewhere into his mind, light as air and ghostly as mist.  
"…l-l-love y—"

It's Kurt. Those words are Kurt's and the tears simmer in Blaine's eyes, desperate to fall but he won't let them. The water is freezing when it floods around Blaine's ankles, his calves. He drops to his knees, lowering his arms at last and submerging Kurt as he cradles him gently. The shouts behind him disappear, the water has no temperature, and the wind ceases as Blaine's eyes scan back and forth on Kurt's body, the hope swelling inside him. Kurt is going to be okay now. Everything will be okay.

The grey sky looms with dark clouds overhead and the sweet water rains down, creating varied circles on the ocean's surface. All sound has been silenced, save for the pounding of Blaine's heart. Kurt is beyond pallid under the shifting surface of the water, every ounce of warmth devoid from his features. His eyes are still closed. And he isn't moving. Blaine's eyes dart quickly and his hands grip Kurt's cold skin. The hope that rose in his chest sinks faster than he could have ever imagined, leaving his chest aching. He lifts Kurt's head and torso out of the water, holding him tightly against him as though he could transfer the warmth of his body to the one person he would give his own life for. One hand brushes the wet hair from Kurt's face, presses to his cheek. His thumb wavers over chapped lips, feeling no hint of breath between them. When Blaine moves his palm to Kurt's chest, the weight he holds drops limply. There is no indication that Kurt is breathing.

Blaine barely registers his shaking hands and the warm tears that spill over and over. His own breath heaves in his chest with such force he can't do much but gasp. Numb arms tighten to the point of pain in holding Kurt's body so close. His head drops and choking cries rip from his throat. His mind is a flurry of words, emotions, pleas.  
No, no, you can't do this. Please. Please don't leave me. Don't. Oh god, don't. I love you. I love you. I love you.

Blaine feels miles away from shore, miles from everyone and everything. Miles away, even, from himself. Whether he meant to or not, King Theon's captivity and deprivation took the one person Blaine loved. Blaine had watched him be tortured all those months, watched him slowly weaken, and tonight, Kurt had died in Blaine's arms. He hadn't been fast enough. He couldn't save him. And the person who let his arms gently release and quickly stand wasn't Blaine. The man who turned with anger in his eyes directed towards the king's men standing at the edge of the water, silent as the night, was not Blaine. The sailor whose fists balled in hatred was not Blaine.

But the utter pain that filled every shout, however, was Blaine's own. The agony slicing through his heart was the only thing he felt. Moving with more power than he could have thought possible from his body at this moment, he stormed out of the frigid water and at threshold of the sand. "He killed him!" Blaine screamed, not caring that he was dripping saltwater, that the rain was pouring with as much vengeance as was in his heart, that he probably looked like the village fool. He screamed with his hands clenched and his eyes blazing and his heart mangled beyond repair. "The king is a murderer! A goddamn murderer!"

It wasn't until the lighting flashed overhead that the dark figures in front of him became recognizable. And that group of men who had ran down after him in the growing storm was not King Theon's guards. No, these sailors who stood silent as statues with wide eyes in the rain, staring down at the man they had never imagined could break, were the men of Blaine's crew. These were his sailors, his friends, who had tears in their eyes and an ache in their own hearts. And suddenly it was too much and Blaine fell to the ground, his arms limp between his knees on the gritty sand-turned-mud. The howling wind drowned out his weakened cries. He couldn't bring himself to look back, to see Kurt in the water, being so close and Blaine had failed. The searing pain in his chest made him choke and gasp amidst the last image of Kurt that he would carry with him as long as he lived.


	27. Chapter 27

Drenched to the core and shivering beyond control, a thick cloak is wrapped around Blaine's shoulders. "Come on," a voice whispers and as much as Blaine wants to stay here, he follows the gentle pull on his waist and stands. His legs feel less than capable of supporting his weight and for some reason, the tears have stopped. He just stares ahead, guided by the arm around his torso, and is flanked by the rest of his crew. Now his head throbs with a massive headache, the rain beating down on them as they trudge up the stairs and across the grounds. Blaine couldn't get himself to look out over the water when they reached the top. Not to where Kurt was. To where his body would forever lie, nestled quietly in the sea.

Instead, he kept his gaze straight ahead in the gloomy fog and cracks of lightning while his hair spilled over his forehead and water dripped relentlessly into his eyes. No one spoke. Blaine's heart thudded hard with every step, again and again and again, the only thing he could feel. He made himself stand up straighter, blocked every thought of Kurt from his mind.

It took less time than he thought it would for the group to reach the door of his room. He extracted the key from his pocket with hands that only trembled a little. As he opened the door, he realized they were speaking in low murmurs around him.

"No one will know. Everyone is asleep; half the castle was drunk off their asses and the servants won't have seen anything."

"I'll spread a rumor. Could have easily been a jealous royal at the party who waited until night to steal the mermaid."

"Would be his own fault to not have people protecting the cage."

"You did everything you could."

"It's not your fault."

And somehow Blaine kept his voice level and calm as he turned his face towards his friends and said, "Thank you. It's okay. Go back to your rooms now. There will be less of a blame on all of you if you're not out right now."

They were silent once again, shifting uncomfortably.

"Blaine, are you okay?"

He stalled, the words on his lips. "Fine. We'll all be fine after we sleep." His tone was a dismissal, one not to be argued with. Reluctantly they started backing away after glancing at one another to see what everyone else was doing. Thad stayed close to Blaine, nodding at the others to go.

The key was still clutched in Blaine's palm when the footsteps faded away and the black sky thundered once again.

"Blaine."

He looked up, eyes pleading to be left alone.

"I... I always thought magic was a myth. You know, something to tell children at night before bed to give them something happy to look forward to in their dreams. At least, where I grew up that's what magic was. When I first saw a mermaid I thought I was dreaming. And even if the story-tale magic isn't wands and sparkling dust, mermaids are magic in what they are and everything they stand for. Not many people get to see that kind of magic, let alone get to touch a mermaid or talk to one." His voice lowered. "And I don't think there's one person who's fallen in love with one. You love him, Blaine. I can see it in your eyes and even in the first night we met him, when he was a human. I can't forget those eyes; I don't know what or how but I know there was something that changed him and made him human. A love like that doesn't just die so easily. You're hurting now, I know. It hurts. But I just can't believe he's really gone. It doesn't make sense. There has to be something else."

Blaine blinked quickly, composing himself and throwing up his walls again. "It doesn't make sense for two different species to love each other. But we did. He was poisoned, Thad. He can't come back from that. He's gone. He's dead. Nothing can change that. Nothing can bring him back. The world didn't want us to be together. And now we aren't. So don't tell me there's some type of magic that can fix this. Don't tell me to have some kind of hope because there is none. Any shred of hope I had in my heart died when he took his last breath, when he died in my arms. If it happens that I'm found out and the guards take me to the king, I'll gladly take that punishment. I don't have any hope anymore. There's no point because he's gone. Forever. It was foolish to think anything could have come from wanting to be with him. So go back to your room. Leave me alone. And don't come back here."

Thad took a step back, shocked by the force of his words. And Blaine was quiet once more, opening the door and closing it quickly behind him, shutting both Thad and the rest of the world out.

His room was dark, the worn candles barely able to hold their light, melted down to the nub. The coat (maybe it was Thad's?) dropped off his shoulders, followed by his soaked shirt, pants, and underwear. He walked to the bathroom, remembered it was late and Becky would have drawn his bath hours ago and it was now no warmer than the rain that poured outside. So he went to the bed, hair wet and body aching, and curled up naked inside the warmth he hoped would come. But it was to no avail. The bed was cold. And he remembered where Kurt had laid next to him, here on this bed, and where they'd made love. And his heart thudded painfully, his stomach rolled like he was back on his very first voyage and had been so seasick he could hardly stand. His hands clenched in the sheets and he swallowed, tasting the sting of bile and hoping he wouldn't throw up. The tears came before he realized he was crying and soon he was shaking with his sobs, gathering the blankets close to him and praying that when he looked up, it would be Kurt in his arms. Hiccupping and hurting with a chest empty of anything but numbing pain, sleep overcame him in a crashing wave.

**********

Far out in the ocean, where the water is dark and murky, reflective of the weather on land, a heart beats. Lungs expand. Color slowly returns.

When he opens his eyes and finds himself at the bottom of the water, on the rocks and sand and shells, it is only as though he has fallen asleep without dreaming. His body aches with weakness prolonged for he doesn't know how long. But he can feel that he doesn't hurt so badly. It doesn't sting his chest every time he takes a breath, and when he looks around, his vision does not blur and shift. He breathes. There is a cleanliness, a gentle reminder of life in his lungs. As he moves his hands and body slowly, he realizes he is no longer in the dreaded tank. For a moment, his heart leaps that they've put him somewhere else. Anywhere would be better than his previous prison. And as he sits and rubs his eyes and truly takes in his surroundings, he knows that he is back in the water that gives him life, not suffocating in the water that takes it away. But how?

"Come on. Come on. Break."

That voice, pricking a memory that doesn't want to stir. It hurts to think but he knows this is important. Warm, strong arms around him. Cold, cold air. A burning in his chest. The slam, slam, slam of something against glass and the relieved cry of success. Hazel eyes.

His heart skips a beat and races with adrenaline and he begins to swim without realizing it. Blaine. Blaine did this. Blaine saved him. Saved him from the tank. Saved him from death. He's darting back and forth as emotions pour in, not knowing where the shore is or which direction to go. He has to get back to Blaine, show him he's okay. He doesn't know how far he drifted before settling on those rocks or if it was the water that saved him, somehow pushed through organs that had stalled. He doesn't know where to go.

For a reason he can't fathom, Finn is the first thing that he thinks of. Given the time, he could track where to go to get to the shore but there's no guarantee that Blaine is there. Or any guarantee that he'd end up at the correct shore, seeing as he doesn't remember much of anything past Blaine pulling him out of the tank. What he does remember is vague senses, not directions. And Finn might be able to help. He left without saying anything, again. He left his parents without an explanation, seeing his brother for all of ten minutes before leaving with the promise that Finn would figure out some kind of lie to tell the king and queen. He could only hope that that was the case. He hoped Finn had bought him time. Now he needed to talk to the one person who could help, and the family that he would have to convince that his love was just as real as any of theirs. And hope, too, that they would forgive him for being gone for so long.


	28. Chapter 28

He feels he has been asleep for far too long, that that the energy so long drained from his body seemed to return with a fire so hot he could barely keep up with it. Every scale and inch of flesh is tingling, alive with feeling, and determination set in his mind. Remembering where he needs to go does not hamper him for long. It seems as though way, way down in the depths of his healing mind, he knows which way to swim. And swim he does.

Faster than he thought he could, he straightens out a path and follows without thinking much about it. His head is clear and for the first time in so long, he can do something about the need he feels. He'd become numb to everything because there was no way out; nothing he could do but wait to die. But then Blaine had saved him. Risked his own life to save him. So he swims with his eyes locked straight ahead, sure that nothing could get in his way to stop him. Not now, not ever.

*********

"Check again, damn you!"

"Sire, there's no sign—"

"I'll give you a sign if you don't come back here with some kind of information! It's a mermaid in a tank; there has to be something you can tell me! He didn't just get up and swim away!"

"Well, it seems the tank was smashed. With…a…a statue."

"So my pet was taken. Stolen in the dead of night. How picturesque. And we've received no note of ransom or anything?"

"No, sire. Nothing."

The king sat back and folded his arms across his chest, the redness coloring his cheeks moments before seeping away as he calmed and rubbed his forehead, soothing his pounding headache. "Then it must be another royal. Stole my mermaid for his own benefit. Jealous of my beautiful pet. I want every messenger sent to every palace! Every guest who was here last night. No one will go unquestioned. Have every messenger beat them back to their own palaces if you must but get an answer! Search everything!"

The thin man bowed, seeming grateful to be able to leave the room. No sooner did the door close behind him did the king yell for a brandy and another servant.

Sipping his drink, he gave another order. "No one leaves this palace until we have interviewed everyone and what they've seen. Goddammit I should fire every one of you damn 'guards' for not doing your job!" And then he called for another brandy, as the one in his hand had been smashed against the wall, startlingly close to his servant's head.

Muttering to himself, he dug his thumbs into his temples and closed his eyes, fuzzy visions of last night's events racing in his mind. His servant had to squeak out his name three times before he realized his drink was waiting. His eyes, bloodshot and bleary, snapped open as a sudden picture stilled in his head. Waving away the drink angrily, he shouted, "The…the servant boy! Curly hair! The damn sea captain! Bring him to me! Bring him now!"

*********

It had been a full two minutes since Kurt had set eyes on the kingdom. He closed his eyes and let out yet another breath. He could do this. They were his family after all. Straightening up from behind the mound of coral, he tried to remember how long it had been since he'd been back. Six months? Eight? He was sure it had been less than a year. It was the longest he'd ever been away.

Using a sharp piece of orange striped coral, he propelled himself forward, holding his head high and hoping that would make him feel braver. The first person to notice him was a little girl, no more than six, who looked away and said nothing when he passed. Her mother gathered her up and looked over at the stranger, recognition and shock on her face but she too stayed silent. Kurt swam faster.

The palace loomed closer. Had it always been this…intimidating? His heart pounded. It didn't take long before the whole kingdom seemed to be out of their homes, trying to catch a glimpse of the long-disappeared young prince. He had no idea what they'd been told. Or even what his parents had been told, for that matter. He had to have known the palace guards would surround him, asking him a million questions all at once, less escorting and more forcing him forwards to the palace gates.

The king and queen were waiting when he was led to the entrance. Carole already had tears running down her face, and Burt looked somber though the glisten could be seen in his eyes. Where before it had felt as though everyone was whispering something behind his back, now the entire world fell silent. And then Carole swam up to him, almost knocking him over and gripped him in a hug so tight Kurt felt he might lose a limb. But he melted into her arms and soon felt the strong arms of his father around them both, sighing in the way that only comes when a great weight has been lifted from the mind.

He opened his eyes and Finn was there, so many questions written on his face with the relief clear in his gaze. Burt loosened his grip and Carole kissed his cheek again and again, petting his hair as though seeing if he was real.

"I'm okay, mom, really," he assured her softly, holding her hands in his and squeezing tightly. He looked up at his father, shame spreading over his face. "Dad, I—"

"Not now." The king said, cutting off all discussion. Kurt nodded silently, returning his gaze to Finn.

He let go of Carole's hands and slowly made his way to his brother, barely listening to the king turn to his kingdom and make a declaration. "After so long, Prince Kurt has returned. We, my family, would appreciate it greatly if we could have some moments of peace together. I assure you we will…" His voice faded into the background. Finn hugged him tightly.

"I thought something happened to you," Finn whispered.

"I… I'm fine now." Kurt lied quietly.

"Rachel's been so worried. We all have. Kurt, there wasn't… there wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about you. And mom… she… and dad… there's…" He seemed unable to finish, but his face said it all.

Kurt had caused them so much pain and worry.

"Finn… I… I'm so sorry," he whispered, tears surging to the surface.

They were interrupted when Burt appeared beside them, holding Carole's hand. "We have a lot to discuss." There was a touch of softness-relief maybe?—in his voice. But Kurt knew there was confusion and anger awaiting him.

"Family meeting in the great hall. Finn, Rachel may join us if she feels up to it."

Finn nodded and retreated. Kurt was guided down the halls in silence, preparing himself to take the punishments he was about to face and also attempt to make his parents understand and believe him when he told them he fell in love with a human.

**********

He was unsure of the exact time, but it was clear it was midday when his door was thrown open and the covers ripped from his body, when he was dragged out of bed into the harsh sunlight and no amount of pleading would stop the king's men in taking him from his room. But when they bypassed the meeting hall and the trophy room and the servant's quarters, Blaine did not know where they were taking him. He'd never been to this part of the castle.

His eyes had just adjusted to the lower light inside, when he was thrust into blackness and cold shackles embraced his wrists and then a heavy door slammed. Adrenaline rushed, peaked, dropped. Quick breaths escaped his lungs and he tried to look around, tried to see where he was. But he could see nothing. And then a light was snapped on, flooding the room and blinding him. He groaned and shut his eyes, a figure moving in front of his eyelids and making his head spin.

"I'd tell you what happened and why you're here but I doubt that you are so clueless, isn't that right, Blaine?"

He squinted his eyes open at his name, knowing at once who was speaking to him. Of course it was.

The king sat across from him in a large chair and as Blaine regained his vision, he looked around. The air was musty and damp here. There was nothing but a small window, barely big enough to let in light, on the door behind him. He was on his knees on the dusty floor, cold air seeping through the ground and making him shiver. The heavy rusted chains were attached into the ground then leading up to his wrists, leaving him with enough slack to raise his arms to his chest. He let his hands stay still against his thighs and looked the king right in the eyes. If the king wanted answers, he wasn't going to give any.

"Well, master Blaine? Is there anything you have to share with me? Because I know damn well you had something to do with this."

Blaine stayed silent, boring his gaze into the king's, determined to not speak a word. The king was silent as well, regarding him as every second ticked by. When it seemed the seconds were stretching into hours, the king rose, strode up and slapped him across the face.

"Tell me!" he shouted. "Tell me where you've hidden him! I know you did, you little b—"

Blaine's face stung but he looked back up and set his gaze.

The king paused at Blaine's action. Then he knelt down in front of him, moving his hand up towards Blaine's face. The gesture seemed kind, until he scraped a fingernail down the one of the largest just-healing scratches on his cheek. Blaine ground his teeth together and clenched his palms to stop from groaning.

"My pet lasted three months before the affects began to have serious consequences. I can assure you, dear Blaine, you won't be grated that luxury. You will talk. You will tell me where he is."

Theon stood, then the door opened and closed behind him and Blaine was plunged into darkness once more. With tears streaking his face again, Blaine stayed in his position on the floor, unable to turn around or do much of anything except lay down, knowing that he was not here to be interrogated. But tortured.


	29. Chapter 29

"What in the name of Poseidon were you thinking? You've been gone for months, Kurt. Months! We've been worried sick about you and having to lie to the kingdom, telling them you'd gone off to go visit the Mystic Kelp Gardens and liked it so much that you decided to stay. And then you just show up out of the blue? I don't know what was going through your head but you'd better have the Atlantis of explanations!"

Kurt swallowed. This would be harder than he thought. His emotions were already raging in him, like an undersea volcano ready to pour over. "I'm sorry. I really, really am. I was just so…bored of being here, of the same thing day after day and being alone and… and I had an opportunity and I took it. And I'm—Well, the reason I came back was to tell you I'm… that I'm in love."

"What have you been doing all this time? Scouring the seven seas for a husband?" The anger had calmed, but Kurt knew it was only beginning.

"Sort of."

Carole had an apprehensive smile on her face, but it was still a smile. "He must be from somewhere far away. How did you meet?"

"It was more of an accident. Then we spent more time together and…well, we love each other."

"Tell them the truth, Kurt." Finn's voice seemed to grate at the walls, sharp and loud.

"Kurt?" His father's eyes locked on his face.

"He…he's…a…"

"A human," Finn finished for him and the identical looks that crossed their parents' faces were full of shock, fear, and anger.

Burt's voice was quiet. "He's a what?"

"A—"

"Not you. I'm asking Kurt."

Kurt braced himself but he could feel his emotions dying to break free. His hands shook. "He's a human, dad."

"And how did you meet him?"

"I was just watching him and then… I had to meet him, know more about him. I took a potion. I've been human for months. I'm happier with him than I have been in my life."

Carole spoke, disbelief in her voice. "Potion? Where did you get a—"

"Mercedes." Burt finished for her, speaking for his son because he already knew the answer. Kurt just nodded in response.

"You've been a human. You have no idea the danger you've put our family in, put the whole kingdom in, no… our entire kind! What if someone had seen you? Recognized you?"

Guilt poured over him. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry."

Burt was silent, his eyes burning into Kurt's as though he could pull some kind of explanation from him. Kurt had to look away, the tears already forming. "You can't be serious, Kurt. It's not…" he cut off quickly, moving his fist to cover his mouth and sighing. "It's not natural. It's ridiculous." He shook his head, his voice growing louder. "He's a human! Do you have any idea, any at all, what would happen if that got out?"

"Dad, I—" The tears were falling now and he tried to keep his voice calm. "I love him."

Finn was shifting uncomfortably, trying to be anywhere but here. There were tears on Carole's face, confused, sad, upset.

"Finn, leave."

He rose at his father's sharp words and though there was sympathy in his eyes, he did as he was told with one last look at Kurt and then swam fast, closing the door behind him. Once he was gone, it began again. "You don't know what love is! You haven't… You haven't even tried to be with anyone here. You're a handsome young merman. You have so much to offer people, but you don't give them a chance to see it. You look down whenever someone looks at you."

"Honey, there are plenty of eligible husbands for you. You just don't let anyone in. If you'd just give them a chance, you'd—"

"You'd forget all of this… these feelings you think you have. Ask Finn, ask me, ask any of your cousins, being in a relationship is one of the best things you can have."

"You're just not confident enough to find someone."

"No. Dad, Mom, this is what I feel." Kurt tried, tried so hard, to keep composed and hoping beyond belief that he could get his parents to understand. "It's not fake, it's not… It's real. I know it's not what you wanted for me, but I do feel this! You don't understand…" He was whispering, the weight of his parents' words crushing him.

"You bet we don't understand." Burt's voice was rising again and Kurt shrunk, feeling cornered, bullied, and angry. "I don't understand how you think you could do this to us! Are you trying to tear apart our family? You don't get it. You don't know what you're setting yourself up for! How are we going to tell the rest of our family? We will be forever shamed. He is a human!"

Kurt just sat there, tired of fighting, tired of being ridiculed for his feelings. He looked down with the tears dripping, the anger boiling and no way to speak without his words being thrown back in his face.

"You are ruining this family and you don't even care!"

His head snapped up, eyes narrowing. He was going to break soon. He just didn't know how all of his feelings would make their appearance known. "Just because he's a human doesn't mean he's a heartless killer! He's kind, he's caring, he makes me feel loved and happy when I'm with him."

Burt took a breath through his nose, drawing himself up tall. "If you continue this way, you will be stripped of your title, you will be cut off completely and disowned. You can come back to get your things and then you have to leave. You will not be part of this family, do you hear me?"

He swallowed, the anger rising. They didn't understand. "I'll do anything to be with him. I'll turn into a human for the rest of my life."

"And I'll have that damned witch's tail ripped out scale by scale if you ever go near her again! I forbid you to see him again."

"Dad…" he was embarrassed at how his voice broke, making him look weak. "Just meet him. That's all I—"

"I am never going near the shore!" The words boomed in the silence of Kurt's whispered words. "How dare you defend those humans…those monsters… when they killed your mother!"

Kurt shrunk back, his eyes widening, the remark stinging. Kurt's heart was breaking. Every word left a crack, every threat squeezed, every second they did not believe how he felt, it was tearing him apart. And rather than scream and not have any word heard, he bolted from the room, swimming out of the palace, past the coral grounds, and to the small cove he used to play in as a child. Last time he was here, he'd been with a few friends, laughing and playing around. Now, it was dark and he was alone, with the pain in his heart and an ache in his lungs to keep up with his ragged breaths and the tears that wouldn't stop even if he wanted to.

*********

The door swung open, a creaking sound in the dark, letting in a breeze of musty air. But it was better than nothing so Blaine took a deep breath and let it fill his lungs. The crack of bright light hurt, though he was thankful for the dim few candles that were lit as the king entered. He didn't have to look up. He knew by the labored gait and the smell of his breath.

"Well, prince charming. How was your first night in paradise? Anything we can get you to make your stay more comfortable? A pillow? A blanket? Some food, perhaps?"

Blaine kept his head down, trying to drown out the smug tone.

"Have you had enough time to consider my offer? I'm not the bargaining type, unfortunately, so we're going to have to have an answer, if you please."

At this, Blaine raised his head. The king smiled down at him, hands crossed in front of him.

"What do you say?"

The only thing Blaine had was to rock back and then use the force of his motion to get a good enough shot to spit in his face. It happened quickly. There were guards on him faster than he thought possible, pinning his wrists to the ground behind his back and forcing him to arch up, his bare chest vulnerable and breath already heaving. The king pulled a small blade from the folds of his robes, holding it up for Blaine to see as it glinted in the dull light.

"That was the wrong choice, my dear. You see, we have rules here. And rules are made to be followed. I asked you a question. Disobey, and you will be punished." The tip of the blade pressed against his collarbone and he ground his teeth together as it was pulled across his body, slicing thinly down his chest, stomach, to his hip. The diagonal cut bled lightly. It was not a deep wound. Enough to warn. Enough to get the message across. "Release him." His arms were immediately freed and he gratefully rolled his aching shoulders and ignored the pain of his painfully stretched ligaments. "Now," said the king with his true colors showing on his face, "what do you say to my offer?"

Blaine paused. He could lie, go along with it. Save himself some pain. But Kurt was dead. Any physical pain caused would not compete with the numbness of his broken heart. He'd go down fighting. "I'll never tell you anything."

King Theon raised an eyebrow. And with no other warning, slapped him with the back of his hand. One of the king's rings had made direct contact with his lip and in the silence that followed, he could taste blood and feel the throb to the beat of his heart.

"Why was Kurt so important to you?" Blaine spoke without thinking, needing to know. And to his surprise, the king answered.

"I suppose it's only fair of you to know. I knew the second you brought him in here. At the banquet. And I knew I had to have him for my pet. Oh yes, I knew what he was. The eyes of a mermaid don't reflect fire. Did you notice that? No, I doubt you did. Every other mermaid I've had here has been afraid of fire. And Kurt… Kurt wasn't."

Because he was brave, Blaine thought. And curious as hell.

"Strange, in such a creature, but not important. You see, Kurt and I… we're not so different. I know it seems like we're worlds apart, but I grew up just like him." The king paused and disgust filled his voice. "I was a merman. I, too, was next in line for the throne of my father's kingdom. But that was many years ago. It was supposed to be the life anyone would have dreamed of, but my people turned against me and I was banished from my realm, never again to be called 'prince.' I was an outcast, forced to live in the depths of hell out where there is nothing for miles and miles but coral. Let me tell you, coral is something no one should have to live off of. But I did. For the longest weeks of my life. Until I found a witch. A sorceress, as it were, who offered me a chance for freedom. And I took it. And I never looked back. I was able to rise to power on land as a human when I was adopted by the royal family as a teenager and when a "mysterious" illness took over the castle, there were no others able to take the throne. Except me. Blaine, I always get what I want. No matter what it takes. Do you understand? For years I've been trying to get revenge on those who wronged me and sent me away. Not just my kingdom, no. On all mermaids. They're all the same. With every one I capture, I do a bit of… shall we say, persuasion?... to get them to see things my way and to answer my questions willingly. Those who do not, pay the price and I'm afraid that with currency rates and all that nowadays, my price is a bit steep. But they do pay it. Look around. You'll see what I mean."

The door was cracked open again, letting in more dusty light. Blaine blinked rapidly.

"Look." The king took his chin in his hand and forced his head upward and moved it back and forth so he could see the walls. In the darkness, he hadn't been able to tell what was there. What he thought were decorations of statues around the room were in fact not statues at all. They were tails. Mermaid tails, still shimmering in the pale air. His stomach sank. He felt sick.

The king let go and he dropped his head, coughing and forcing up the bile in his throat. He spat on the floor. If they found Kurt out there or if he washed up on the shore… He would end up here. The thought made him gag and cough, keeping his eyes on the ground at King Theon's feet.

"Something bothering you, boy? We've got a weak one here!" The king laughed, a booming, hearty sound. "Those who were smart played along. I got bits and pieces of information until I was able to put together enough of a head start. From there, it was sheer luck that brought you to me and Kurt to you. Funny how things fall into place, isn't it?" He straightened up. "Well now, I hope you've enjoyed our little story time. Next time I visit, I can guarantee it won't be as much fun. I'll give you some time to decide if you're going to continue to be stubborn."

The guards blew out the candles as they followed their king out the door. Blaine heard Theon's order to the guard at the door. "No food until I come back. But he can have… this. That is all."

Someone else was at the door and tossed in a lump that hit Blaine's shoulder and bounced off an arm's length from him. He scrambled to reach it, pushing the chains on his wrists to their limit and stretching further. His fingers brushed the hard exterior and he was able to roll it closer and wrap his hand around it. Then the light from the door was extinguished with a cold slam and the shackle on his left wrist burned, most likely rubbing the skin and irritating it further with his attempt to reach his only source of food in over a day. He clutched it in his fingers, realizing it to be bread. It was probably stale and his first bite told him there might be some mold on it as well, but his aching stomach craved more. He ate it all and then maneuvered to the floor and curled into a ball as best he could. The pain left on him from the king's visit rose to the surface now. He cried in silence as his injuries pulsed and throbbed and bled. But the worst was not being able to get the image out of his head of so many beautiful mermaid tails nailed to the wall. There was no way now he could sleep in some sort of calm. Not when he knew what surrounded him. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter, begging for sleep to come and the pain to leave.


	30. Chapter 30

"Kurt? Kurt, please."

Kurt was silent. His mind was far from easy, his chest still aching, his eyes burning, hands shaking, and he tensed at his mother's voice.

"Kurt, I know you're here. Please, just…" She let her words fade and though it had been more than a few hours since the outburst, Kurt had no desire to see her. "I want to talk."

He almost snorted. She didn't want to talk; she wanted to berate him more. But he figured it was better to let her talk than to ignore her. It would come back tenfold if he waited. He filled his lungs with a deep breath and emerged from under his favorite rock formation that hid him completely. Carole immediately locked eyes with him and he forced himself to not look away. She had been crying too, though her eyes still held sadness, anger, and fear.

He stayed silent and didn't move, waiting for the continuation. Carole swam up and sat on a rock near him and Kurt moved over to sit too, as far from her as he could without being blatant. He stared at his lap. "Honey," she began, "you've put us through a lot. When you told us you were gay, it was hard to deal with I'll admit, but we all love you and accepted it. And I thought things would be better. But then you start to withdraw, close yourself off, and then you disappear. We had no idea where you were. You already know all of that and I won't go through it again but I just don't understand what you…why you have to do this. No one will look at you the same, Kurt. He is a human and I…I don't… You've had crushes on mermen but you've never been with anyone. You're a special young merman and you could be with anyone, but you choose not to. You have to understand, Kurt, that this is a shock for us. It's not just us who has to deal with this. It's the entire family, and the kingdom too. I want to know why you're doing this. Why now?"

Her voice was soft, but there was a tone he'd never heard before underneath. The tears were falling freely, though he'd tried so hard to hold them in. So much anger swelled in his chest. Anger that she didn't understand, anger that he couldn't communicate how he felt and have them believe him, anger that he was being harassed and made to feel worthless because he'd fallen in love. He shook his head in defeat, not wanting to fight and feel this much hurting inside anymore.

"I love him," he whispered. "I've never felt this way about anyone. No one else mattered the moment I met him. I don't know what else to say."

Carole paused and Kurt ducked his head, unable to look at her, terrified of what was next to come. He heard her breathe in and out, one long breath, and he was sure the yelling was going to start again.

"Are you sure? Are you sure this is what you want? You can't go back from an announcement like that."

Cautious, he raised his head. Her eyes had softened and Kurt had a hard time believing she wasn't raising her voice.

"I…I don't…what?"

She sighed. "I can see it. In your eyes. I don't want to, but it's there."

"What?"

"Love. You love the human."

"More than anything," Kurt whispered again, ashamed for not being able to speak louder. "He saved my life. In more ways than one. And I…" his voice was breaking and the tears spilling. "I don't even know if he's alive."

Carole's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why do you say that?"

He recounted the story as quickly as he could, starting from after Blaine broke the glass and pulled him from his prison.

"Wait. Did you say Theon?"

"He's the king. The one who tried to keep me there."

"That sounds so familiar…" She waved her hand, brushing away the thought for now. "But this Blaine saved you. And now you don't know where he is?"

"At the castle, maybe. But the king is…he's horrible. And if he knows Blaine had anything to do with me getting away… Carole, they'll kill him."

For a moment, she was quiet. And then there was determination in her eyes. "Then we must save him."

*********

When Blaine opened his eyes, he wished at once that he hadn't. His head was pounding and his body hurt beyond anything he thought he could feel. He heard a voice outside the door.

"Sir, he's awake."

In a few minutes, the king was once again opening his cell door. He was followed by the same companion as before, who wasted no time in pulling Blaine's chains taut behind him so he was forced to look up.

"Tut tut. That lip does not look very pleasant. Does it hurt?"

Blaine clamped his teeth together as the king poked at his swollen lower lip, still crusted with blood.

"Just as I thought," the king smiled a bit. "Are you ready to talk now? Because I'm done waiting."

"Why don't you just kill me?" Blaine countered, too tired, weak, heartbroken, and sad to care.

"Giving up already?"

"You have no right to mock me. At least I've never made an entire kingdom hate me."

The severe kick to his stomach wasn't surprising. It made him wheeze and gag as he doubled over, pulling his chains to their limit and having to snap back up when the tendons in his shoulder sent seizing pain down his arm. He let out a shout. It felt like fire in his body.

His eyes blazed as he looked up, readying himself for another hit. It was bound to come.

"You can tell me anything you want, but I know you had something to do with his escape. Don't mistake me for a fool, boy." He tapped on the door and another servant came in, holding something folded by his side. "By law I am not allowed to hold you here more than two days but this will be the most painful twelve hours that I have you for if you do not tell me what you did with him. Do I make myself clear?"

Blaine just nodded silently. The servant held a whip in his hands. That was what was next for him. The panic in his head swirled and the jumbled letters were on his tongue, to just spurt out everything. But something made him keep his lips together, swallow the confession, and not say a word. Twelve hours. Then he would be free.

Theon waited another minute, staring down at Blaine the entire time. The seconds dragged on and the silence grew louder.

"Still no?" he sighed and raised his head to the servant holding Blaine's chains behind his back. "Release his arms. Remove his shirt."

The second servant moved too, letting the whip unravel until it touched the floor. Blaine's heart thudded against his ribs, echoing in his ears.

"What a shame."

**********

Kurt's head was spinning from the sudden change of heart. They arrived back at the castle, seeming oddly still and quiet after the shouting that had filled the halls earlier. They stopped at the grand door leading to where Kurt knew his father would be and as Carole reached for the handle, he held out his hand to stop her.

"Wait. I have to know. Why did you just…understand? Just like that?"

She looked up at him and let her hand drop. "That look in your eyes… It was the same way your father looked at me. He had to fight to be with me and it seemed like no one else understood. I was a commoner, and it was unheard of for a royal to even think of marrying someone like me. But through the words that were thrown at us and the struggles we faced, we loved each other and managed to get through it all. And I know how devastated I would have been if I hadn't kept fighting for what I believed in and what I knew was right, in my heart. So I am going to talk to your father. And I'm going to try and get him to see what you see, and what I see in you. You deserve happiness, Kurt. With whoever that may be."

She gave him a small smile before disappearing behind the doors and Kurt stood there for a few seconds and let her words sink in. And quick, quiet breaths of relief came and the pain in his heart lessened to know that one of his parents did care and understand, if only a little. It was enough.

And it felt like years until the doors opened and Kurt understood to go inside. His heart beat tenfold, terrified to face his father now. What he saw when he entered was a tired-looking Burt sitting next to Carole. They both looked up when he came into view and he almost stopped right there and fled but pushed himself forward and tried to make himself tall.

"Kurt, son, your mother has explained her thoughts on the situation. This is something we don't see eye to eye on, but she's made me try and see things through your eyes. When I first met Carole… she was the light in a very dark time in my life. I didn't think I'd be able to love after losing Elizabeth. I'll admit I was blinded by love and didn't notice those around me and what they were warning me of. I went ahead and started courting her, as I would have done with any other available royal. But she wasn't a commoner in my eyes. She was nothing but herself and I knew in my heart that I wouldn't want to have another chance with anyone else. My parents weren't alive then and I can imagine that their thoughts would have been similar to the counsel, telling me what a big mistake I was making and how I would disgrace the name of Hummel and I may as well hand over the crown for my foolishness. And it was difficult, getting those around us to accept our love. But it worked out in the end. I didn't want you to have the same difficulties I did and I want you to make sure that this is what you absolutely want. There will be no going back. I realize I have said some things that I am ashamed of and I know I did not handle myself as a king, and as a father, should. I apologize if I have hurt you."

The fear could not have drained fast enough and Kurt found himself smiling amidst his tears. "It's okay, dad," he whispered.

King Burt rose and swam up in front of Kurt, placing his hands on his shoulders. "You don't know how much you mean to me. You dream big, son. You always have. I hoped that you would stay and find a way to be happy here, but as I know it, you have other ideas."

"I have to find him. He could be hurt or…"

"And if he is beyond saving?"

His voice was quiet. "It will be worth it to have tried. I love him. To see him for one more moment would be worth everything."

Burt stayed silent, looking into his son's eyes. "There's no going back. You'll leave all of this, your friends, your family, your home, all of it. It will all be gone."

Kurt raised his head, nodding.

"And this is what you truly want?"

It took no more than a moment for his heart to beat his answer, for there to be no other answer in the world. "Yes."

Burt drew himself up taller, almost hanging his head in his son's decision. But he wanted Kurt to be happy. And this is what he had chosen. "Then you must make the announcement yourself. The kingdom must be notified and you formally recognize giving your right to the throne to Finn."

"I understand."

There was sadness in his father's gaze, but he said softly, "I hope you can finally be happy in who you are. And don't forget where you came from."

Kurt threw his arms around his father, trying to convey so much in one embrace. "Never."

*********

Crack! Crack!

At first, Blaine thought he'd try to count how many whips he could hold up against. The first set had been five. It had been two hours since then and every hour on the hour, the king returned with his guard and asked if he was ready. Twice now, Blaine had just looked up at him and twice more, he'd been whipped. Five more were added every hour. The door clicked shut and Blaine let out a heavy sigh. His back stung and he was tired. The next set would be twenty. The last hour would be sixty. He caught his breath just thinking about it. Sixty. He didn't know if he could handle that.

But he had to. For Kurt.

Kurt went through so much, while Blaine had tried to save him. And even then, he couldn't do enough, and Kurt was dead now. He couldn't give the king that satisfaction, knowing that he'd won. He would continue to fight for the man he loved. He would die fighting if he had to, to protect him as he couldn't before. Dying didn't really seem like such a bad option. Kurt's memory wouldn't be tainted with the king's nauseating pride. There was nowhere for Blaine to go anymore and no one he had left that he loved. Death seemed almost…nice. He figured he could live with that.

He almost laughed at the irony.


End file.
